FISHING  KITS 
'''^UIPMENT 


UC-NRLF 


$B    571    &ED 


»AMUEL  CI.  CAMF 


BERKELEY 

L!       ^RY 


V 


UN*    "^   GITY  OF 
C>       ORNIA 


FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

KEW  YORK  •    BOSTON   •  CHICAGO  •   DALLAS 
ATLANTA   •  SAN  FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO..  Limited 

LONDON  •   BOMBAY  •   CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 
OP  CANADA,  Limited 

TORONTO 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/fishingkitsequipOOcamprich 


An  Unexpected  Strike 


FISHING    KITS 
AND    EQUIPMENT 


BY 
SAMUEL  G.  CAMP 


i5cto  liorft 

THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

1936 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


Copyright,  1 91 3, 
By  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 

All  rights  reserved — no  part  of  this  book  may  be 
reproduced  in  any  form  without  permission  in  writing 
from  the  publisher,  except  by  a  reviewer  who  wishes 
to  quote  brief  passages  in  connection  with  a  review 
written    for    inclusion    in    magazine    or    newspaper. 


FERRIS  PRINTING  COMPANY 
NEW  YORK 


6HHSI 
il3 


TO  THE 

'MEN  I  HAVE  FISHED   WITH'' 


275 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

The  series  of  articles  —  here  thoroughly  revised  and 
considerably  extended  —  upon  which  this  book  is  based 
originally  appeared  in  Recreation,  The  author's 
thanks  are  hereby  tendered  the  publishers  of  that  maga- 
zine for  permission  to  use  the  papers  in  the  present 
form. 

Credit  is  due  also  to  Mr.  Edward  Cave  of  Recre- 
ation for  the  use  of  several  photographs. 

SAMUEL  G.  CAMP. 

Canaan,  Connecticut. 


CONTENTS 


CHAP.  PAGE 

I.    The  Preliminary  Cast 15 

II.  The  Fly-Rod  for  Trout  Fishing  .     .     18 

III.  Fittings  for  the  Fly-Rod  ....     29 

IV.  Choice  and  Use  of  the  Fly-Rod  .     .     40 
V.  Reels,  Lines,  and  Leaders  .     •     .     .     57 

VI.  Flies  That  Trout  Like     ....     79 

VII.  Clothes  and  Other  Accessories  .     .     93 

VIII.  The  Rod  for  Bait-Casting      ...   105 

IX.  Reels,  Lines,  and  Artificial  Baits   .   117 

X.  General  Sweet- Water  Tackle  .     .131 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

An  Unexpected  Strike.    From  a  Painting 

BY  Oliver  Kemp Frontispiece 

facing 

PAGE 

The  Deep  Holes  are  the  Trout's  Favorite 

Lurking  Places 26 

Four    Representative    Split    Bamboo    Fly- 
Rods  46 

Single  Action  Click  Reels 58 

Quadruple-multiplying  Casting  Reels  .     .     58 
Great  Care  must  be  Exercised  when  Land- 
ing IN  THE  Rapids 68 

Variety  of  Form  in  Trout  Flies  ....     84 
Wet-fly  Book,  Pocket  Scales,  One-drop  Oil 
Can,  and  Pocket  Kit  of  Tools  for  Use  in 
Making  Flies  and  Mending  Tackle  .     .     92 
The  "  Henshall  "  Casting  Rod    .     .     •     .110 
Three  Types  of  Bait-casting  Rods    .     .     .  no 

All  Sorts  of  Tackle  128 

A  Good  Spot  to  Cast  where  the  Stream 
Widens  Out 138 


FISHING   KITS  AND 
EQUIPMENT 

CHAPTER  I 
THE  PRELIMINARY  CAST 

And  let  us  buy  for  the  days  of  spring 
While  yet  the  north  winds  blow! 

For  half  the  joy  of  the  trip,  my  boy. 
Is  getting  your  traps  to  go. 

The  Tent  Dwellers, 

ANGLERS,  so  far  as  the  tackle  question  is  con- 
cerned, may  be  divided  into  two  classes; 
those  who  make  their  own  rods,  flies  and  cer- 
tain other  items  of  the  fishing  kit,  and  those  who 
from  lack  of  mechanical  ability  or  time,  or  perhaps  in- 
clination, buy  their  tackle.  That  this  latter  class  is 
very  greatly  in  the  majority  goes  without  saying;  and 
It  IS  equally  certain  that  a  large  part  of  the  tackle 
bought  is  entirely  unsuited,  for  various  reasons,  to  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  intended.  The  man  who  is 
a  beginner  at  any  form  of  angling  and  goes  to  the 

IS 


i6     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

tackle  shop  with  the  idea  of  purchasing  an  outfit,  say 
for  fly-fishing  for  trout,  frequently  comes  away  with 
an  assortment  of  junk  utterly  useless  for  that  pur- 
pose. On  the  stream  the  outfit  naturally  proves  far 
from  a  success  —  whereupon  the  fisherman  concludes 
that  fly-fishing  is  not  for  him,  or  any  man  in  his  senses, 
smashes  or  sells  the  tackle  and  goes  out  of  business 
permanently.  Also,  since  the  various  forms  of  angling 
are  very  unlike,  it  is  quite  possible  for  a  man  to  be  an 
expert  in  one  branch  of  the  sport  and  a  novice  at  an- 
other. The  great  number  of  fly-casters  who  have  re- 
cently taken  up  bait-casting  from  the  reel  is  an  instance 
of  this. 

It  is  the  writer's  purpose  to  treat  systematically  the 
subject  of  tackle  and,  in  addition,  to  suggest  what 
tackle  to  select  for  the  brook  trout,  the  black  bass,  and 
other  sweet-water  game  fishes.  The  reader  is  duly 
warned  that  he  will  seek  in  vain  herein  for  exciting 
tales  of  mortal  combats  with  huge  bass  or  trout  —  for 
fish  stories  of  any  sort,  either  alleged  or  experienced. 
Neither  are  there  picturesque  descriptions  of  the  moun- 
tain trout  stream  or  the  forest-bordered  bass  lake. 
Also,  learned  discussion  or  academic  theorizing  anent 
the  haunts  and  habits  of  fishes  must  be  sought  else- 
where. We  are  here  strictly  concerned  with  the  prac- 
tical, unsung  side  of  the  subject  —  how  to  outfit  for 
a  trout,  bass  or  other  fishing  trip ;  how  to  select  a  good 
fly-  or  bait-casting  rod;  how  the  rods  are  made  and 
how  they  should  be  used ;  the  proper  selection  of  reels, 


THE  PRELIMINARY  CAST  17 

lines,  flies  and  other  tools  and  tackle;  and  matters  of 
like  nature.  All  of  which  things,  it  is  respectfully  sub- 
mitted, are,  in  a  way,  of  some  small  value  to  a  fisher- 
man. 

Necessarily,  in  view  of  the  subject-matter,  there  will 
be  much  "  shop  talk,"  and  to  some  it  may  seem  that 
there  is  considerable  hair-splitting  regarding  what  is 
likely  to  prove  satisfactory  and  what  is  not.  In  an- 
swer to  such  an  objection,  one  might  say  that,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  whole  subject  of  tackle  is  of  strictly 
secondary  importance  —  absolutely  subservient  to  the 
real  purpose  of  the  sport,  the  hardy  outdoor  life  of  the 
woods  and  streams.  But,  nevertheless,  the  man  who 
relies  upon  angling  as  the  medium  of  his  communica- 
tion with  the  open  cannot  place  too  much  importance 
on  the  quality  and  suitability  of  the  fishing  kit.  It  is 
a  time-worn  and  very  true  sporting  axiom  that  a  poor 
gun  makes  a  poor  shot;  and  shoddy,  ill-chosen  tackle 
makes  a  careless,  and  consequently  a  disappointed  an- 
gler. The  sportsman  to  fully  enjoy  his  trip,  to  want 
to  go  again,  must  meet  with  at  least  moderate  success 
whether  his  purpose  be  the  taking  of  game  or  game 
fish;  and  good  guns  and  fine,  well-selected  tackle  go  a 
very  long  way  toward  insuring  this  success. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  FLY-ROD  FOR  TROUT  FISHING 

THE  Eastern  brook  trout,  except  upon  rare  oc- 
casions and  in  exceptional  localities,  is  not  to 
be  taken  save  through  the  exercise  of  con- 
siderable skill  on  the  part  of  the  angler.  Generally 
speaking,  the  factors  which  make  a  consistently  success- 
ful angler,  one  who  usually  makes  a  pretty  good  show- 
ing except  when  the  conditions  of  wind,  weather  and 
water  are  collectively  or  severally  against  him,  are 
knowledge  of  the  habits  of  the  game-fish  sought,  pa- 
tience, good  fishing  tackle,  and  a  thorough  knowledge 
of  how  to  use  it.  In  no  form  of  angling  are  these 
things  more  essential  than  in  fly-fishing  for  the  speckled 
trout. 

The  acquirement  of  the  natural  history  of  game- 
fish,  the  possession  and  exercise  of  care  and  patience, 
and  the  ability  to  handle  tackle  skilfully  are,  more  or 
less,  matters  of  the  personal  equation,  supplemented,  in 
the  case  of  tackle-handling,  by  intelligent  and  faithful 
practice.  Good  fishing  tackle  is  a  matter  of  dollars  and 
cents,  and,  naturally,  a  knowledge  of  what  is  good 
tackle  and  what  is  not  is  necessary  in  its  selection.     In 

i8 


FLY-ROD  FOR  TROUT  FISHING       19 

the  long  run  the  most  successful  way  of  taking  trout  is 
fly-fishing  for  them  —  when  it  is  done  rightly.  The 
outfit  for  trout  fly-fishing  is  composed  of  a  fairly  long 
list  of  various  items,  some  of  them  apparently  unim- 
portant but  nevertheless  by  no  means  to  be  overlooked. 
In  trout  fly-fishing  it  is  the  little  things  that  count. 
Looking  over  the  list  of  necessaries  it  is  hard  to  de- 
termine just  which  of  the  different  essential  things  is 
most  important;  but,  logically,  the  fly-rod  first  calls 
for  consideration. 

It  may  be  stated  at  the  outset  that,  in  the  opinion 
of  expert  rod  makers  and  rod  users,  fly-rods  of  split- 
bamboo,  or  split  and  glued  cane  as  they 
are  sometimes  called,  are  unquestionably     Qualities 
the    best.     This    is    because    the    split-        ^    , 
bamboo  rod  possesses  in  a  greater  degree 
than  rods  of  any  other  material  or  combination  of 
materials  the  essential  qualities  which  any  rod  must 
have  to  distinguish  it  from  a  mere  "  fish  pole."     These 
qualities  are:     Lightness,  pliancy,  resiliency,  strength 
and  balance. 

In  addition  to  the  fact  that  good  sportsmanship  de- 
mands the  use  of  a  light  rod,  such  a  rod  is  in  many 
ways  the  most  desirable.  The  advantages  of  lightness 
in  the  fly-rod  are  so  obvious  that  it  is  hardly  necessary 
to  enlarge  upon  them.  Moreover,  if  you  wish  a  heavy 
rod  you  will  have  to  build  it  yourself  or  import  it 
from  England.  Generally  speaking,  all  American  rods 
are  light.     One  advantage  of  the  light  rod  is  the  re- 


20     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

suiting  comfort  of  the  user.  The  angler  whose  fish- 
ing days  are  few  and  far  between  likes  to  hit  the  river 
early  in  the  day  and  stay  with  it  as  long  as  he  can 
see  his  flies.  It  is  hard  work  even  with  the  lightest 
rods.  This  subject  will  be  discussed  more  specifically 
under  the  subject  of  length  and  weight  which  will  be 
taken  up  in  a  later  chapter. 

The  fly-rod  must  have  the  correct  degree  of  pliancy, 
although  the  question  of  how  great  that  degree  should 
be  is,  in  a  measure,  a  matter  of  taste,  some  preferring 
a  whippy  rod  and  others  one  moderately  stiff.  The 
rod  best  adapted  to  average  trout  fishing  in  streams  — 
and  it  should  be  said  that  average  stream  fishing  is 
always  implied  herein  unless  another  form  is  specific- 
ally mentioned  —  should,  however,  be  neither  whippy 
nor  stiff.  When  fishing  in  strong  rapids  a  whippy  rod 
IS  a  mighty  poor  tool.  It  has  neither  the  ability  to 
answer  at  once  to  the  angler's  strike,  nor,  in  case  the 
trout  is  fortunately  hooked,  the  backbone  to  handle  him 
properly.  In  addition  to  this,  a  whippy  rod  is  not 
suited  to  long  casting  —  not  tournament  distances 
but  fishing  casts  —  for  the  simple  reason  that  it  will 
not  lift  a  good  length  of  line  from  the  water.  Nor  is 
the  stiff  rod  desirable.  On  surface  indications  one 
would  conclude  that  since,  as  above  stated,  a  too 
pliant  rod  does  not  cast  well,  a  stiff  rod  should  be  a 
strong  caster.  Such  is  not  the  case  however.  A  rod 
that  is  very  stiff  refuses  to  aid  the  angler  in  casting 
the  line;  it  does  not  bend  sufficiently,  and  consequently 


FLY-ROD  FOR  TROUT  FISHING       21 

the  "whip"  of  the  rod,  the  elastic  action  that  sends 
the  flies  out  straight  and  far  is  lacking.  Fly-casting 
is  a  matter  of  the  wrist  aided  by  the  rod,  and  if  the 
rod  fails  to  do  its  part  it  is  obvious  that  poor  casting 
only  can  result,  and  casting  that  if  long  continued 
grows  very  tiring  to  the  angler.  Failing  proper  rod 
action,  strong-arm  casting  must  be  resorted  to.  It  is 
good  exercise,  but  best  avoided  if  possible. 

Remember  when  testing  the  rod  for  pliancy  —  we 
will  talk  later  about  testing  the  rod  —  that  a  rod 
which  has  a  tendency  toward  being  whippy  will  in 
time  develop  that  characteristic  very  strongly.  The 
rod  which  inclines  to  stiffness,  not  actual  inelasticity, 
but  a  good  strong  suggestion  of  backbone,  is  the  one 
you  want.  It  will  in  a  short  time  with  a  moderate 
use,  come  down  to  the  desired  pliancy,  and  it  will  stay 
there.  The  use  of  a  heavy  line  will  improve  the  cast- 
ing of  a  stiff  rod  quite  measurably.  If  you  find  your- 
self with  a  rod  on  your  hands  that  has  this  objection, 
use  a  heavy  line  and,  when  you  can,  cast  a  long  line. 
The  long  heavy  line  tends  to  produce  action  in  the 
rod,  and  in  due  time,  if  the  rod  is  not  incurable,  it  may 
work  down  to  a  decent  degree  of  pliancy. 

On  the  other  hand  a  whippy  rod  can  be  considerably 
improved  either  by  additional  windings  of  silk,  or  by 
removing  the  windings  from  the  entire  rod  and  re- 
placing them  at  closer  intervals.  It  should  also  be 
noted  that  a  stiff  rod,  apart  from  the  objection  that 
with  it  good  casting  is  impossible,  is  also  undesirable 


22      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

in  that  with  such  a  rod  it  is  very  difficult  to  avoid 
handling  the  fish  too  roughly.  From  the  middle  to  the 
end  of  the  open  season  low  and  clear  water  is  the 
rule,  a  condition  which  the  angler  meets  with  small 
flies  and  light  leaders.  With  a  stiff  rod  and  light  ter- 
minal tackle  quick,  sharp  striking  is  more  than  apt  to 
result  in  tearing  the  small  hook  away  from  the  trout, 
or,  in  case  the  fish  is  a  large  one,  snapping  off  the  fly. 

The  rod  quality  of  resiliency  is  often  confused  with 
that  of  pliancy.  The  two  qualities  are,  however,  quite 
different,  although,  in  a  way,  interdependent.  As  a 
very  rough  example  of  the  distinction  between  pliancy 
and  resiliency  it  may  be  said  that  a  piece  of  copper  wire 
may  be  bent,  thus  showing  the  possession  of  pliancy,  but 
when  the  strain  is  released  it  will  retain  the  bend.  But 
if  you  bend  a  piece  of  whalebone  it  will,  when  re- 
leased, immediately  spring  back  to  its  normal  condition. 
Resiliency,  then,  is  the  rod's  ability  always  to  come 
back,  rebound,  to  the  normal  after  any  reasonable 
strain.  It  can  only  be  attained  by  expert  construction 
and  the  use  of  the  best  material  obtainable.  The  de- 
gree in  which  the  rod  is  endowed  with  this  quality  de- 
termines the  length  of  its  life,  for  no  one  likes  to  use 
a  rod  which  has  lost  its  speed  and  liveliness,  and  has 
acquired  a  lifeless  and  permanent  set,  although  other- 
wise It  may  be  intact. 

That  the  rod  must  have  strength  is  sufficiently  plain. 
Balance,  the  question  whether  the  rod  fits  you  or  not, 
is  one  of  the  things  to  think  of  when  selecting  a  fly-rod. 


FLY-ROD  FOR  TROUT  FISHING       23 

It  IS  quite  certain  that,  no  matter  how  good  the  rod 
may  be  otherwise,  if  it  does  not  suit  you,  is  not  adapted 
to  your  particular  method  of  casting  (every  angler  de- 
velops an  individual  casting  method),  if  it  is  a  little 
too  heavy  in  the  tip,  or  possibly  a  shade  too  heavy  in 
the  butt,  or  if  for  any  reason  the  rod  does  not  feel 
right  to  you,  it  is  a  much  better  plan  to  choose  an- 
other rod  than  to  try  to  accustom  yourself  to  that 
particular  rod's  peculiarities.  The  chances  are  that  if 
you  try  to  get  used  to  the  rod,  someone  else  will  even- 
tually own  it,  or  it  will  occupy  a  very  permanent  place 
in  the  rod  rack. 

The  split-bamboo  rod  of  good  grade  possesses  each 
of  the  foregoing  essential  qualities  in  a  greater  degree 
than  rods  of  any  other  material.     They 
are  usually  made  of  six  or  eight  strips,    ■*■  ^^   Split- 
hexagonal  or  octagonal,  and  from  two         t^   j 
varieties  of  cane,  Calcutta  and  Tonkin, 
the   merits    of   which   are    about   equal.     Triangular 
strips  are  split  and  fashioned  from  the  whole  cane  and 
cemented  and  bound  together  to  form  the  rod  joint. 
Mechanical  skill  of  the  highest  order  is  necessary,  and 
the  fly-rods  turned  out  by  our  best  rod  makers  are 
veritable  works  of  art.     The  best  rods  are  made  en- 
tirely by  hand. 

The  comparative  merits  of  hexagonal  or  octagonal 
rods  have  been  the  subject  of  long  discussion,  but  at 
present  expert  opinion  is  strongly  on  the  side  of  the  six- 
strip  rod.     The  chief  argument  against  the  eight-strip 


U     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

rod  is  that  in  the  tip- joint,  and  proportionately  in  the 
other  joints,  where  the  separate  strips 
Six-  or      ^j.g  necessarily  slender,  the  tip  of  eight 


eight- 
strip? 


strips  consists,  to  exaggerate  a  little,  of 

about  equal  parts  of  glue  and  wood. 
That  the  tip  is  apt  to  be  soft  goes  without  saying.  It 
IS,  however,  perfectly  feasible  to  have  the  butt  and 
middle  joints  of  the  rod  eight-strip,  and  the  tip  six- 
strip,  and  some  rods  are  made  in  this  way.  The  best 
rods  of  two  of  the  most  prominent  New  York  tackle 
dealers,  both  for  fishing  and  tournament  work,  are  six- 
strip.  Another  well-known  firm  furnishes  its  best  rod 
in  both  the  six-  and  eight-strip  styles,  with  an  addi- 
tional charge  of  $iO  for  the  eight-strip  rod. 

Variations  of  the  split-bamboo  rod  as  regards  con- 
struction, taking  the  hexagonal  or  octagonal  rod  as  the 

standard,  are  not  numerous  in  this  coun- 

Variations    try.     In  England  a  good  many  rods  are 

^  y^       built  with  steel  centers,  and  some  are 

bamboo,      tnown    as    double-built    rods.     In    the 

steel-center  rods  there  is  a  core  of  spring 
steel  wire  extending  through  the  entire  length  of  the 
joints  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  rods  more  springy, 
stronger  and  better  casters.  In  the  double-built  rods 
a  core  of  either  six  or  eight  strips  of  cane  is  first  made 
in  the  usual  manner,  and  then  other  strips  are  laid 
on  over  these.  Double-built  rods  with  steel  centers  are 
also  made.  In  this  regard  it  is  worthy  of  note  that 
England's  famous  exponent  of  the  dry-fly,  Mr.  F.  M. 


FLY-ROD  FOR  TROUT  FISHING       25 

Halford,  in  his  book  The  Theory  And  Practice  of 
Dry-Fly  Fishing,  declares  very  strongly  in  favor  of 
the  split-bamboo  of  regular  construction. 

Without  going  into  the  subject  further,  it  may  be 
said  that  while  the  double-built,  the  steel-centered  and 
the  eight-strip  rods  are  undoubtedly  eflGcient,  their  ad- 
vantages over  the  six-strip  rod  are  more  theoretical  than 
practical.  The  angler  may  rest  assured  that  if  he  se- 
lects a  good  six-strip  rod  he  has  as  good  as  there  is. 

Another  method  of  split-bamboo  rod  construction, 
which  IS  applied  to  solid  wood  rods  as  well,  consists 
of  spirally  winding  the  entire  rod  with  fine  metal 
threads.  The  metal-whipped  rods,  either  of  split- 
bamboo  or  solid  wood,  are  good  rods.  Personally,  I 
have  never  used  the  metal-whipped  rod,  but  I  know 
several  very  expert  fly-fishermen  who  swear  by  them. 
Metal-whipped  rods  are  also  made  in  England. 

Bear  in  mind  that  only  the  split-bamboo  rod  of 
good  quality  deserves  the  unreserved  recommendation 
above  other  rods  which  is  here  and  universally  given 
It.  Only  in  the  best  split-bamboo  rods  is  there  that 
unity  of  good  material  and  conscientious  workmanship 
which  insures  to  the  angler  a  satisfactory  tool.  Cheap 
split-bamboos  are  abominations,  and  the  source  of  un- 
ending trouble  to  the  man  who  attempts  to  use  them. 
Also,  It  IS  quite  possible  to  make  a  split-bamboo  rod 
which,  to  the  eye  of  the  novice,  appears  all  that  it  should 
be;  in  fact,  it  may  even  look  better  to  the  novice  than 
an  unpretentious  rod  of  the  very  highest  quality  to  pro- 


26      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

duce  which  the  maximum  of  skilled  hand-labor  has  been 
called  upon  and  the  minimum  of  barber-post  windings 
and  fancy  trimmings.  Caveat  emptor  should  be  the 
maxim  of  every  man  who  barters  for  a  fly-rod.  What 
to  pay  for  a  rod  will  be  discussed  in  a  subsequent  chap- 
ter. 

Rods  for  trout  fly-fishing  are  also  made  of  the  solid 
woods  bethabara,   greenheart  and  lancewood,   and  of 

steel.  The  steel  rods,  very  good  rods 
Utner  Koa  ^^^  certain  purposes,  are  most  emphat- 
Materials.    .    „       ,  •     n        ,•         -ru 

ically  of  no  use  in  ny-casting.  Ine  ac- 
tion of  the  rods  is  very  harsh,  while  at  the  same  time 
they  are  lacking  in  the  elastic  whip  that  puts  out  the 
flies  lightly  and  far.  Moreover,  they  are  heavy.  One 
way  to  describe  the  inherent  unfitness  of  the  steel  rod 
for  fly-casting  is  to  say  that  it  is  too  metallic.  The 
"  gentle  turn  of  the  wrist "  used  in  striking  the  small 
trout  of  our  mountain  streams,  no  matter  how  care- 
fully done,  with  a  steel  rod  results  in  a  brutal  snap 
that  many  times  tears  the  hook  away  from  the  fish. 
On  no  account  get  a  steel  rod  for  fly-fishing.  They 
are  very  good  and  handy  rods  for  certain  purposes  and 
their  proper  uses  will  be  mentioned  later. 

Of  the  solid  wood  rods,  bethabara,  greenheart  and 
lancewood,  it  may  be  said  that  rods  well  made  from 
any  of  these  materials  are  good  rods,  although  they 
suffer  in  comparison  with  the  split-bamboo.  Not  every 
man,  however,  can  afford  the  latter.  It  is  an  axiom 
that  It  IS  much  better  to  pay  a  certain  price  for  a  solid 


a, 


FLY-ROD  FOR  TROUT  FISHING       27 

wood  rod,  thereby  getting  the  best  quality  rod  of  that 
particular  material,  than  to  pay  the  same  price  for  a 
split-bamboo  which  for  the  same  amount  can  only  be 
obtained  in  a  poor  grade.  The  fact  that  solid  wood 
rods  of  the  best  quality,  and  in  other  grades  in  pro- 
portion, are  much  cheaper  than  the  split-bamboo  rods, 
does  not  by  any  means  imply  that  they  are  essentially 
"  cheap  "  rods.  The  making  of  a  split-bamboo  rod, 
requiring  as  it  does  for  the  best  rods  careful  selection 
of  material  and  the  very  highest  skill  in  the  maker, 
very  naturally  results  in  a  comparatively  high  price. 
Rods  of  solid  wood  are  by  their  very  nature  easier  rods 
to  make,  and  in  most  cases  satisfactory  material  is  easier 
to  obtain.  Rods  of  any  of  these  materials  are  heavier 
for  any  given  length  than  the  split-bamboo  rods. 

Of  the  solid  wood  rods  lancewood  rods  are  the 
most  common.  This  material  is  not  quite  the  equal  of 
greenheart.  Bethabara  is  the  best.  In  England, 
where  heavier  fly-rods  are  commonly  used,  greenheart 
is  the  most  general  rod  material,  taking  precedence 
over  split-bamboo.  Bethabara  is  an  excellent  material, 
rods  made  from  it  being  very  handsome,  and  having 
in  a  satisfactory  degree  the  essential  rod  qualities. 
The  wood  is  of  dark  color  and  takes  on  a  fine  natural 
finish.  Selected  bethabara  is  sometimes  called  noib- 
wood.  Bethabara  rods  are  not  very  common  in  the 
tackle  shops  although  many  rods  are  made  from  this 
material  by  amateurs.  Lancewood  is  the  most  easily 
obtainable  rod  material  and  has  over  greenheart  and 


2S     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

bethabara  the  advantage  of  lightness,  although  not  in 
a  very  decided  degree.  Lancewood  rods  are  apt  to  be 
too  whippy  and  rather  slow  in  action.  It  should  be 
remembered  that  I  am  now  speaking  of  fly-rods  purely. 
For  some  purposes  the  solid  wood  rods  are  preferable 
to  split-bamboo. 


CHAPTER  III 
FITTINGS  FOR  THE  FLY-ROD 

WHEN  you  have  decided  upon  the  material 
for  your  rod  there  remain  a  number  of  me- 
chanical details  of  construction,  in  addition 
to  various  questions  of  length,  weight  and  the  like, 
to  be  considered.  We  will  take  it  for  granted  that 
you  have  decided  to  get  a  fly-rod  of  six-strip  split- 
bamboo.  A  visit  to  the  tackle  shop  or  the  consulta- 
tion of  the  tackle  catalogue  of  a  large  dealer  will  show 
you  that  you  have  still  to  decide  about  the  number  of 
rod  joints;  style  of  ferrules  and  hand-grasp;  form  of 
handle  or  butt,  whether  integral  or  independent;  the 
form  of  guides  and  windings;  and  the  style  of  reel- 
seat.  We  will  first  take  up  these  latter  details  and 
then  consider  the  matter  of  length  and  weight  of  the 
rod. 

Fly-rods  are  usually  made  with  three  joints,  the 
butt,  middle  joint  and  tip  or,  as  the  last 
is  called  in  England,  the  top.  There  Ro^t^^jJ^^^ 
are,  however,  variations  of  construction 
in  this  regard.  For  obvious  reasons  the  one-piece  rod, 
that  is  a  rod  with  spliced  joints,  is  the  ideal  rod;  but 
29 


30     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

fly-rods  of  one  piece  are  not  commonly  procurable. 
Such  a  rod  has,  of  course,  the  very  great  disadvantage 
of  being  difficult  to  transport.  The  next  form  is  the 
two-piece  rod  which  also  has  obvious  disadvantages 
and  is  not  common.  The  standard  fly-rod,  as  we  have 
said,  is  made  in  three  joints,  an  extra  tip  being  always 
furnished  with  the  rod ;  and  for  ordinary  purposes  this 
is  by  far  the  most  desirable  form.  For  the  angler  who 
makes  long  trips  on  which  the  duffle  must  be  reduced  to 
a  minimum  various  kinds  of  combination,  tourist  and 
trunk  rods  are  made. 

Of  the  combination  rods  it  may  be  said  that  any 
rod  constructed  with  a  view  to  fulfilling  several  pur- 
poses cannot  by  its  very  nature  be  exactly  suited  to 
any  one  of  these  purposes.  It  is  far  better,  if  at  all 
practicable,  to  pack  two  rods,  one  for  fly-fishing  and 
another  for  bait-casting  or  other  fishing,  than  to  at- 
tempt to  do  the  work  with  a  combination  rod.  It  is 
obvious  that  a  rod  expertly  made  with  a  view  to  one 
use  only  is  better  than  one  modified  in  various  ways 
so  that  by  different  combinations  it  can  be  used  for 
several  purposes.  However,  in  case  such  a  rod  is  by 
way  of  being  a  necessity,  it  is  possible  to  get  some 
very  fine  ones  so  far  as  material  and  workmanship  are 
concerned.  But  do  not  use  one  unless  you  have  to  for 
some  good  reason. 

The  tourist  fly-rods  are  of  the  greatest  utility. 
These  rods  are  not  combination  in  character  but  con- 
sist of  several  interchangeable  joints  with  a  view  to 


FITTINGS  FOR  THE  FLY-ROD        31 

meeting  the  contingencies  of  a  long,  hard  trip  in 
the  woods.  Very  few  rods  in  expert  hands  are  broken 
on  fish;  but  on  the  portage,  or  in  the  boat  or  canoe, 
or  while  tearing  your  way  through  thick  brush,  the 
chances  of  a  smash-up  are  numerous.  For  this  reason 
no  one  should  start  on  a  trip  of  this  character  with- 
out, at  the  very  least,  one  extra  rod.  But,  while  fly- 
rods  are  very  light,  a  bundle  of  two  or  three,  or  the 
same  number  carried  in  a  leather  rod  case,  makes  a 
very  unhandy  package.  The  tourist  rods  are  made  for 
the  purpose  of  doing  away  with  this  difficulty.  The 
independent  handle,  which  we  will  discuss  later,  is  a 
regular  part  of  the  tourist  fly-rod,  and  otherwise  the 
rod  consists  of  two  butt-joints,  two  middle-joints  and 
three  tips.  The  independent  handle  is  carried  sepa- 
rately, and  the  joints  are  packed  in  a  case  of  small 
caliber,  making  a  much  more  portable  package  than  a 
number  of  individual  rods. 

In  the  trunk  or  pack  rods  the  idea  of  portability  is 
carried  to  the  extreme.  Rods  consisting  of  as  many 
as  nine  or  more  short  joints  are  made,  the  usual  num- 
ber being  six.  It  is  obvious  that  the  number  of  fer- 
rules necessary  in  such  a  rod  must  materially  affect  its 
action,  the  tendency  being  to  make  the  rod  too  stiff. 
These  rods,  also,  run  rather  short,  eight  and  a  half 
or  nine  feet  being  the  limit.  Only  in  the  very  best 
grades  are  such  rods  at  all  satisfactory;  and  if  ex- 
treme portability  is  no  object  it  is  much  better  to  let 
the  other  fellow  use  them. 


k 


35      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

German  silver  is  the  usual  ferrule  material  on  all 
rods  of  good  grade  and  is  perfectly  suited  to  the  pur- 
pose. It  should  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  German  silver  is  not  all  of 
one  quality,  and  the  mere  fact  that  the  ferrules  are  of 
"  German  silver  "  does  not  guarantee  them  unless  the 
material  and  workmanship  are  right.  The  best  Ger- 
man silver  ferrules  are  hand-wrought  and  approach 
steel  in  hardness.  On  the  cheaper  grade  rods  nickel- 
plated  ferrules  are  used,  and  on  some  rods  plain  brass 
ferrules.  Both  of  these  should  be  avoided.  To  the 
novice  a  ferrule  is  a  ferrule,  and  that  is  the  end  of 
It;  the  old-timer,  however,  knows  that  there  are  cer- 
tain qualities  which  the  ferrule  must  have  in  order  to 
be  entirely  satisfactory.  In  the  first  place  the  fer- 
rules should  be  "waterproof"  in  order  to  prevent 
rotting  of  the  rod  material  at  their  bases.  In  the 
waterproof  ferrules  a  metal  disc  is  placed  across  the 
inside  of  the  ferrule  next  to  the  wood  of  the  joint, 
thus  making  it  impossible  for  water  to  reach  the  wood. 

Also,  the  ferrule  should  be  "  ser- 

f  ]  ^  '^  rated"  or  "split."  This  means 
that  the  end  of  the  ferrule  which 
Serrated  Ferrules,  is  secured  to  the  rod  joint  is,  in 
the  case  of  serration,  cut  into  saw-teeth  or  crown- 
shaped;  or,  in  case  the  ferrule  is  split,  that  the  base 
of  the  ferrule  is  cut  or  split  in  several  places.  Both 
of  these  processes  are  for  the  purpose  of  making  the 
ferrule  easier  to  bind  hard  and  fast  to  the  rod  joint, 


FITTINGS  FOR  THE  FLY-ROD         33 

the  serration  or  splitting  making  it  possible  for  the 
cement  and  silk  winding  to  bind  the  ferrule  much 
more  securely  than  in  the  case  of  ferrules  with  plain 
bases. 

Next,  the  open  end  of  the  female  ferrule  should  be 
"  welted  " ;  that  is,  the  end  is  strengthened  with  an 
extra  band  or  welt  of  metal.  And,  finally,  the  ferrule 
should  be  "  capped,"  meaning  that  at  the  binding  end 
of  the  ferrule  it  is  "  shouldered  "  to  cause  more  perfect 
contact  of  rod  joint  and  ferrule  and  to  prevent  the 
ferrule  from  slipping.  To  sum  up,  the  ferrules  of  the 
new  rod  should  be  waterproof,  capped,  serrated  and 
welted.  And  the  material  should  certainly  be  Ger- 
man silver. 

In  England  various  methods  are  resorted  to  for  the 
purpose  of  making  the  rod  stronger  at  the  ferrules. 
Rods  are  made  which  have  to  be  spliced  in  order  to 
assemble  them  —  doing  away  with  ferrules  entirely  — 
and  in  other  cases  the  ferrules  are  fitted  with  metal 
hitches  so  that  they  may  be  locked  or  lashed  together 
when  the  rod  is  assembled.  These  methods  are  em- 
ployed, as  I  have  said,  for  the  purpose  of  making  the 
rod  stronger,  and  also  to  prevent  throwing  apart  in 
casting.  It  is,  perhaps,  needless  to  advise  against  the 
use  of  anything  of  the  sort,  for  the  simple  reason  that 
you  cannot  find  any  American  rod  having  this  feature. 
Those  who  are  in  a  position  to  know,  state  that  these 
methods  are  employed  in  England  because  there  fer- 
rules approaching  to  anything  like  the  excellence  of 


34     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

those  produced  in  America  are  not  to  be  found.  If 
your  rod  is  fitted  with  good  grade,  American  made 
ferrules  you  need  not  worry  about  its  strength;  and, 
moreover,  if  you  throw  it  apart  in  casting,  consider  it 
a  miracle  and  let  it  go  at  that.  It  will  not  happen 
again. 

Doweled  ferrules,  formerly  the  subject  of  much  dis- 
cussion, are  things  of  the  past  and  not  to  be  found  on 
the  best  fly-rods  of  the  present  time.  The  fact  that 
they  are  no  longer  used  is  the  best  argument  against 
them,  and  we  will  not  go  into  ancient  history. 

Many  anglers  object  to  the  brightness  of  German 
silver  ferrules,  claiming  that  the  flash  of  the  metal  in 
the  sun  alarms  the  fish.  Undoubtedly  this  is  true  to 
a  certain  extent,  but  its  importance  is  often  exag- 
gerated. The  angler  who  wishes  to  may  have  the  fer- 
rules oxidized  to  his  order.  Ferrules  of  German  silver 
will,  in  time,  tarnish  to  a  certain  extent,  dulling  con- 
siderably. This  tarnish  can  easily  be  removed,  but  it 
is  a  good  plan  to  let  it  remain  thus  doing  away  with 
any  extreme  flashiness  of  the  ferrules. 

The  chief  consideration  in  regard  to  the  handgrasp 

is  the  material.     Handgrasps  are  commonly  made  of 

plain  wood,  celluloid,  wood  cord-wound. 

The  Hand-  j^^j.j    rubber,   wood    cane-wound,    cork 

orT*3.SO 

and  "solid  cork."  All  of  these  ma- 
terials, with  the  exception  of  solid  cork,  make  fairly 
good  grips;  solid  cork  makes  the  finest  possible  grip. 
The  rod-buyer  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  handgrasp 


FITTINGS  FOR  THE  FLY-ROD        35 

catalogued  and  sold  simply  as  cork  is  nothing  more 
than  a  thin  sheathing  of  cork,  or  a  composition  re- 
sembling the  same,  glued  over  a  wooden  form.  It  is 
the  worst  and  most  unserviceable  of  all  handgrasps. 
Solid  cork  grips  are  always  so  described,  and  consist  of 


Swelled  Handgrasp  of  Fly-rod. 

a  number  of  thick,  graduated  cork  "  washers  "  closely 
fitted  and  glued  over  a  core  of  wood,  making  a  light, 
strong  grip,  one  that  feels  good  to  the  rod  hand  and 
affords  an  easy  and  firm  hold.  And  it  will  last. 
Handgrasps  of  the  other  materials,  especially  the  cel- 
luloid grasp  which  is  generally  corrugated,  are  more 
or  less  hard  on  the  rod  hand  in  long  continued  casting. 
Next  in  order  to  the  solid  cork  grasp  the  cane-wound 
is  most  satisfactory. 

The  handgrasp  for  the  fly-rod  is  made  in  two  gen- 


Shaped  Handgrasp  of  Fly-rod. 

erally  accepted  forms  as  regards  the  shape.  These  are 
the  "  swelled  "  grasp  and  the  "  shaped  "  grasp.  The 
swelled  grip  is  largest  in  circumference  at  the  middle 
and  gradually  tapers  toward  the  ends.  The  shaped 
grasp  tapers  from  the  middle  but  enlarges  again  at 
each  end.     Either  is  perfectly  satisfactory  and  whether 


k 


36      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

you  should  use  one  or  the  other  is  merely  a  matter 
of  taste.  The  swelled  grip  is  the  most  commonly  used 
and  IS  the  one  generally  furnished  on  rods  good,  bad 
and  indifferent.  As  a  rule  the  shaped  grip  is  found 
only  on  the  high  grade  rods  with  independent  handle. 
The  handle  of  the  fly-rod  consists  principally  of  the 
grip  and  reel-seat,  other  parts  being  the  butt-cap,  or 

the  metal  cap  at  the  bottom  of  the 
H     HI         handle  —  in  English  rods  this  is  usually 

a  hard  rubber  button  —  and  the  "  ta- 
per" which  binds  the  top  of  the  grip  material  at  the 
junction  of  the  handle  and  the  butt-joint.  We  have 
considered  the  grip,  and  the  reel  seat  will  be  men- 
tioned later.  The  only  thing,  then,  to  decide  about 
the  handle  is  whether  it  is  to  be  integral  or  inde- 
pendent; that  IS,  whether  the  handle  shall  be  a  per- 
manent part  of  the  butt-joint,  or  a  separate  length 
provided  with  a  ferrule  into  which  the  butt-joint  fits. 
The  independent  handle  is  advocated  on  the  ground 
of  the  greater  portability  and  longer  life  of  the  rod. 
Its  advantages  are  best  described  by  H,  P.  Wells  in 
Fly-Rods  And  Fly-Tackle.  He  says:  "  Insist  on  the 
independent  handle.  By  independent  handle  is  meant 
one  so  united  to  the  butt-joint  by  a  ferrule  that  the 
rod  may  be  turned  half-way  around  in  the  handle  and 
back  again  at  frequent  intervals  while  fishing  —  say 
every  half  hour  anyway  and  always  immediately  after 
the  rod  had  been  subjected  to  a  heavy  strain.  Thus 
the  rod  is  used  with  the  rings  above  and  below  in 


FITTINGS  FOR  THE  FLY-ROD         37 

frequent  alternation,  the  strains  to  which  the  rod  is 
subject  offset  and  neutralize  one  another,  and  the  rod 
will  retain  throughout  its  life  that  perfect  identity  of 
action  on  both  the  forward  and  back  casts,  the  lack  of 
which,  in  my  judgment,  is  one  of  the  very  worst  faults 
a  fly-rod  can  have." 

As  above  noted  the  independent  handle  is  used  on 
the  tourist  fly-rods  and  makes  it  possible  for  the  angler 
to  carry  the  equivalent  of  three  individual  rods  in  a 
very  small  package.  For  mountain  stream  fishing, 
where  the  fish  are  not  large  and  the  fishing  trips  short 
ones,  the  rod  has  usually  abundant  time  to  "  get 
rested  "  and  the  independent  handle  is  hardly  impera- 
tive. It  increases  the  rod  lengths  by  one  and  the  fer- 
rules by  two,  neither  of  which  things  is  greatly  de- 
sirable for  a  good  many  reasons. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  for  the  fly-rod 
the  reel-seat  must  be  placed  below  the  handgrasp.     In 
common   with   all   other  metal   rod-fit- 
tings,  the  material  should  be  German    •'•^^   Keel- 

se3.t 
silver.     If  the  rod   is  to   be   used   for 

heavy  fishing  some  form  of  locking  reel-seat,  of  which 
there  are  several  kinds,  might  be  advisable.  For  or- 
dinary purposes  nothing  of  the  sort  is  necessary. 
These  devices  are  for  the  purpose  of  firmly  locking 
reel  to  reel-seat  as  a  guard  against  any  possibility  of 
the  reel  working  loose  while  casting  or  playing  a  fish. 
Some  fly-rods  are  furnished  with  reel-bands  only. 
This  form  is  not  as  serviceable  as  the  ordinary  metal 


38      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

reel-seat.     Its  only  advantage  is  that  it  makes  the  rod 
a  little  lighter. 

The  guides  ordinarily  used  on  fly-rods  are  of  two 

kinds,    rings-and-keepers,    and    English    snake    guides. 

Of  the  two,  snake  guides  are  very  much 

uuiaes.      ^j^^  j^^g^^     j^^^  ^^Yy  does  the  line  render 

more  freely  through  them  but  they  are  much  stronger 

and    less    liable    to    become 
bent  than  the  ring  guides; 


I.  2.  and   they  facilitate  "  string- 

1.  Ordinary    Tip-guide.      .  »  ^u         j 

ing  up      the  rod  very  ma- 

2.  Agate  Tip-guide.  .  ,,        ^     ,  . ,  , 

tenally.     bnake     guides     of 

German  silver  are  rather  soft  and  the  continued  action 
of  the  line  through  them  soon  produces  grooves.  This 
is  particularly  the  case  with  the  hand- 
guide — the  guide  next  the  reel — and 
the  top  guide.     For  this  reason  steel  ^• 

guides  are  the  better.     As  an  aid  to         C^V^^ 

casting  and  for  the  purpose  of  saving  2. 

,.  .    .  ,    ,  ,  ,         I.  Ring-     and- 

line-wear  it  is  a  good  plan  to  have  the      Keeper    Guide. 

rod  fitted  with  an  agate  hand-guide         2.  English 
and  agate  top.     If  the  rod  is  thus     ^^^^^     ^^^°^- 
fitted  German  silver  will  do  for  the  rest  of  the  guides. 
Agates  cost  from  $0.75  to  $1.00  each. 

The  rod  should  be  wound  at  in- 
tervals of  not  more  than  an  inch 
Narrow     Agate     and  a  half  at  any  part,  and  much 
Guide.  closer    than    that    toward    the    tip- 

end.     Windings  of  some  shade  of  red  are  very  satis- 


FITTINGS  FOR  THE  FLY-ROD         39 

factory,  as  this  color  is  less  liable  to  fade  badly  than 
some  others.  A  very  pale  green  is  also 
^  *  a  good  color.  Plain  windings  are  to  be 
preferred  to  two-color  windings  since  they  are  easier 
to  renew.  Rods  are  made  "  solid-wound,"  that  is,  the 
entire  rod  is  wound  with  silk;  they  are  not,  however, 
a  success,  being  too  soft.  Avoid  any  freak  or  fancy 
windings.  The  very  best  fly-rods  are  "  as  plain  as  an 
old  shoe." 

Recapitulation. 

Aside  from  the  question  of  weight  and  length  the 
rod  specifications  should  be  about  as  follows: 

Material:     Six-strip  split-bamboo. 

Number  of  joints:  Three.  Optional,  but  not  ad- 
vised except  for  extraordinary  occasions  —  the  tourist 
rod,  the  trunk  rod,  the  comhination  rod. 

Ferrules:  German  silver;  waterproof ;  capped;  ser- 
rated; welted, 

Handgrasp:     Solid  cork.     Next  best,  cane-wound. 

Reel-seat:     German  silver;  below  grip. 

Guides:  Snake  guides  preferably  of  steel,  other- 
wise German  silver.  Optional,  agate  hand-  and  top- 
guides. 

Windings :     Plain  red  or  green  silk. 


CHAPTER  IV 
CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  THE  FLY-ROD 

THE  manner  in  which  the  rod  should  be  fitted, 
or  mounted,  being  determined,  we  have  next 
to  consider  its  length  and  weight.  These 
questions  are  largely  ones  of  locality  and  the  average 
size  of  trout  in  the  waters  to  be  fished.  In  this  mat- 
ter, however,  anglers  are  quite  apt  to  be  extremists, 
some  favoring  very  light  rods  and  others  rods  rather 
heavy.  We  will  take  it  for  granted  that,  at  present, 
you  do  not  care  to  buy  more  than  one  rod,  since,  ii 
the  rod  is  a  good  one,  it  will  cost  quite  a  bit;  and, 
with  this  in  mind,  we  will  try  to  choose  the  best  weight 
and  length  of  rod  for  practically  all-round  trout  fly- 
fishing. You  cannot  be  too  careful  in  this  regard ;  for, 
no  matter  how  satisfactory  the  rod  may  otherwise  be,  if 
you  take  a  dislike  to  its  weight  or  length,  or  if  actual 
use  of  the  rod  proves  that  it  is  unsuitable  to  your  fa- 
vorite trout  stream,  you  are  at  once  in  the  market  for 
a  new  rod.  Without  doubt  there  is  a  certain  pleasure 
in  picking  up  new  tackle ;  but  beyond  a  fixed  point  — 
which  may  be  designated  in  dollars  and  cents  —  the 
pleasure  ceases  abruptly.     Every  man  will  have  his 

40 


CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  FLY-ROD       41 

own  idea  as  to  a  reasonable  limitation  of  his  invest- 
ment in  tackle,  but  it  is  a  matter  that  all  of  us  are 
bound  to  keep  in  mind. 

In  the  tackle  stores  you  will  find  rods  running  from 
8  to  11^  feet.  In  weight  they  vary  from,  as  a  rule, 
3/4  to  9j4  ounces.     These  rods  are  in      _  - 

split-bamboo.     It  is  quite  evident  that  ^j^^ 

here  is  a  large  variety  from  which  to  se-  Weight 
lect,  and  that  if  your  rod  is  to  prove  the  ^^  Kod. 
right  one,  your  selection  must  be  the  result  of  very 
judicious  elimination.  Solid  wood  rods  average  heav- 
ier to  the  foot,  and  since,  for  fly-casting,  they  are  not 
the  equals  of  the  split-bamboo,  we  will  not  complicate 
matters  by  including  them.  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to 
pass  over  any  rod  exceeding  ten  feet,  that  is  for  actual 
trout  fishing.  These  rods  are  concessions  to  the  Eng- 
lish trade  and  for  the  long-distance  tournament  fly- 
casters.  Although  It  IS  possible  to  imagine  circum- 
stances under  which  one  could  use  a  rod  of  this  sort 
to  advantage  on  some  particular  occasion,  for  ordi- 
nary use  it  is  quite  out  of  the  question.  The  choice 
of  the  rod  should  be  made  not  only  with  regard  to 
giving  the  fish  a  show,  but  also  with  due  regard  to  the 
comfort  of  the  angler.  By  way  of  experiment  the 
writer  once  put  in  a  day's  fishing  with  an  1 1 3^  foot 
rod.  This  was  on  a  stream  that  could  truly  be  called 
typical  of  our  American  trout  waters.  Morally  the 
experiment  was  costly.  By  sunset  the  rod  had  at- 
tained a  length  of,  approximately,  one  mile,  and  a 
duly    proportionate    weight.     When    going    through 


42      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

brush  its  action  was  beautifully  precise;  it  never 
failed  to  catch.  However,  the  necessity  of  enlarging 
upon  this  is  probably  not  imperative.  It  is  enough  to 
say  that  the  lesson  was  learned  thoroughly  and  has 
never  been  forgotten. 

Going  to  the  other  extreme,  the  very  light  rods  are 
entitled  to  more  serious  consideration.  That  they  are 
fine  little  rods  to  handle  goes  without  saying.  Also, 
if  the  mere  size  of  the  trout  that  you  are  likely  to  take 
on  one  of  them  were  the  only  question,  they  are  plenty 
large  enough.  Skilfully  handled,  they  are  capable  of 
landing  your  record  trout  "  without  turning  a  hair." 
But,  unfortunately,  there  are  other  things  to  be  con- 
sidered. Not  one  trout  in  a  hundred,  in  stream  fish- 
ing, is  hooked  where  the  angler  can  let  him  have  his 
head.  Sharp  rocks,  sunken  logs,  projecting  tree-roots 
and  the  like  are  familiar  features  of  all  our  trout 
streams,  and  most  often  the  fish  must  be  held  hard 
and  killed  quickly.  The  larger  rods  are  better  adapted 
for  this. 

And  here  is  a  thing  that  must  be  reckoned  with. 
Some  years  ago  tales  of  large  trout  in  near-home  wa- 
ters were  more  or  less  not  so.  At  the  present  time, 
however,  through  the  very  extensive  propagation  and 
distribution  of  brown  and  rainbow  trout,  the  angler  is 
liable  to  be  called  upon  at  very  short  notice  to  have 
It  out  with  a  trout  weighing  anywhere  from  two  to 
four  pounds,  and  quite  possibly  more  than  that.  A 
fish  of  this  size,  in  the  average  confined  and  brush- 


CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  FLY-ROD       43 

grown  pools  of  our  mountain  streams,  Is  a  pretty  hard 
proposition.  You  do  not  have  to  worry  about  giving 
him  a  show  —  he  takes  it,  and  sometimes  the  leader 
and  the  flies. 

And  then  there  is  the  fishing  in  strong  rapids,  a 
component  part  of  every  day*s  fishing  on  any  sizable 
stream.  Here  you  have  not  only  your  fish  to  fight  but 
the  impetuous,  erratic  strength  of  the  current.  That 
the  trout  will  take  every  advantage  afforded  by  such 
conditions  is  a  foregone  conclusion.  Unless  your  tackle 
is  suited  to  hard  work,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  of  such 
nature  as  to  give  reasonable  control  over  the  trout,  the 
result  of  the  engagement  is  also  a  foregone  conclusion, 
or,  at  best,  a  matter  of  more  time  than  should  be  the 
case.  It  is  not  a  matter  of  rod  weight  alone.  Length, 
inasmuch  as  it  is  this  which  determines  in  great  meas- 
ure the  amount  of  control  which  you  have  over  a 
hooked  fish,  is  also  a  deciding  factor  and  a  decided  ad- 
vantage. 

The  little  rods  easily  lengthen  out  a  line  quite  suffi- 
cient for  ordinary  trout  waters  —  under  favorable  cir- 
cumstances. We  hear  much  about  the  most  favorable 
times  and  conditions  for  fishing.  How  many  of  us 
wait  for  these  exact  and  Infallible  conditions  to  ma- 
terialize? We  go  fishing  when  we  can,  and  If  the 
weather,  water  and  the  like  are  not  precisely  such  as 
the  authorities  state  as  requisite,  we  quite  often  catch 
a  few  trout,  and,  anyway,  we  have  a  good  time.  Any- 
one who  has  cast  all  day  against  a  strong,  steady  wind, 


44      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

knows  how  hard  it  is  to  do  good  work  even  with  a 
moderately  heavy  and  long  rod.  And  when,  for  hours, 
you  have  cast  in  a  drizzling  rain,  until  the  line  in 
spite  of  its  waterproofing  seems  to  have  soaked  up  gal- 
lons of  water,  and  the  rod,  seemingly,  has  been  re- 
duced to  lifeless  pulp  —  then  you  realize  how  difficult 
it  is  to  cast  "  fine  and  far  oflE "  sometimes,  even  with- 
out the  handicap  of  a  small,  light  rod.  These  things 
should  have  weight  in  the  process  of  elimination. 

We  have  now,  to  our  own  satisfaction,  at  least,  re- 
duced the  choice  of  a  rod  to  the  lengths  between  nine 
and  ten  feet  inclusive.  The  weights  of  these  rods  vary 
from  five  to  six  ounces,  in  some  cases  with  accom- 
panying fractions.  Any  of  these  rods  are  good,  every- 
day "  meat "  rods,  and  if  proper  allowance  for  the 
character  of  your  favorite  stream  be  made  in  the  choice, 
will  answer  all  requirements. 

As  a  final  word  on  the  subject  of  length  and  weight, 
it  may  be  said  that  the  fly-rod  of  ten  feet  and  weigh- 
ing six  ounces  is  by  far  the  most  capable 

The  all-     ^j^j  satisfactory  rod  for  all  waters  except 

Flv-rod.     ^^^  small  mountain   brooks.     If  only 
one   rod   is  to  be  purchased,   the  ten- 
footer  is  strongly  advised. 

Do  not  buy  a  rod  from  anyone  or  any 

Where    to  f^^^  unless  from  a  reputable  rod  maker 
get   the  .  .     , 

j^Q^^         or    from    one    of    the    concerns    which 

make  a  business  of  fishing  tackle  and, 

therefore,  cannot  afford  to  sell  poor  stuff  for  good. 


CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  FLY-ROD       45 

You  can  get  a  rod  (?)  at  the  department  store;  from 
a  rod  maker;  from  one  of  the  big  firms  dealing  in 
tackle  exclusively;  or  from  one  of  the  general  "sport- 
ing goods  "  houses.  At  any  of  these  places,  except  the 
first,  you  can  get  a  good  rod  if  you  go  about  it  rightly. 
It  is  advisable,  however,  to  purchase  the  rod  either 
from  a  professional  rod  maker  or  from  one  of  the  reg- 
ular tackle  firms. 

Anyone  who  has  attempted  to  sift  out  the  very 
best  shotgun  from  the  numerous  shooting-irons  on  the 
market  knows  that  each  firm  in  the  gun  business  sells 
the  only  really  good  gun ;  and  it's  the  same  way  with 
fishing  rods.  Each  of  the  reliable  firms  solemnly  as- 
sures you  that  its  rod  is  the  only  real  fly-rod  —  all 
others  are  merely  "  poles."  Of  course  this  is  not  so, 
and  no  one  knows  it  better  than  the  tackle  people  them- 
selves. While  it  IS  quite  true  that  for  tournament 
casting  only  one  or  two  firms  supply  a  satisfactory  rod, 
for  actual  fishing  it  is  possible  to  get  a  rod  that,  per- 
haps, is  entirely  too  good  for  you,  at  any  of  the  best 
places.  Reference  to  the  advertising  pages  of  the  bet- 
ter class  of  outdoor  magazines  will  give  you  the  ad- 
dresses of  the  best  tackle  dealers  and  tackle  makers. 
A  careful  and  comparative  study  of  the  catalogues  of 
these  firms  cannot  fail  to  be  of  advantage. 

If  the  circumstances  are  such  that  you  have  to 
buy  your  rod  by  mail,  it  is  well  to  have  two  rods  of 
the  dimensions  you  require  sent  you,  with  privilege  of 
examination,  and  you  can  return  the  one  which  seems 


46     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

least  satisfactory.  It  is  impossible  to  make  two  rods 
of  identical  action  and  balance  although  the  rod 
measurements  and  mountings  may  be  the  same.  Buy- 
ing a  rod  by  catalogue  is,  in  many  respects,  a  lottery. 
The  angler  should  know  perfectly  what  he  wants  be- 
fore going  ahead.  If  at  all  possible  it  is  much  better 
to  go  to  the  tackle  store  and  select  the  rod  in  person. 

Six-strip  split-bamboo  fly-rods  may  be  had  for  seven- 
ty-five cents.  They  may  also  be  procured  for,  say 
forty-five  dollars.  The  question  is: 
How  much  must  you  pay  for  a  really 
good  rod ;  a  rod  that  will  last  a  long  time  with  mod- 
erately hard  use;  will  have  a  good  appearance  so  that 
you  can  show  it  to  people  without  apologizing;  will 
have  good  casting  and  retrieving  power  together  with 
perfect  action  and  balance;  and,  finally,  will  handle 
efficiently  a  weighty  trout  in  a  tight  place  ?  Obviously 
the  answer  is  not  seventy-five  cents  —  nor  is  it  five  dol- 
lars. 

For  from  $15  to  $20  you  can  get  a  real  fly-rod  if 
you  go  about  it  with  discrimination ;  and  you  cannot  do 
it  for  anything  less  than  that,  or  if  you  fail  to  use  dis- 
crimination. Remember,  in  this  connection,  what  was 
said  in  the  chapter  on  split-bamboo  rod  construction 
concerning  the  manual  skill  and  costly  selection  of  ma- 
terial required  to  produce  a  rod  of  good  quality.  The 
average  price  of  the  best  rods  made  by  reputable  rod 
makers  is  $15;  and  they  are  good  enough  fishing  rods 
for  anyone.     Variations  from  the  standard  rod  will 


3     ^flH     O        . 


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OhIu  oj-^      -2 

(U  i;  _ii  -^  *- 


-^'£ 


53   J-" 


CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  FLY-ROD       47 

usually  bring  the  price  up  to  $17  or  $18.  The  large 
tackle  firms  of  New  York,  Boston  and  other  cities 
furnish  two  classes  of  rods  in  addition  to  their  cheap 
stuff.  The  best  rod  sold  by  them  usually  costs  about 
$30;  and  a  "  medium  price  "  rod  is  carried  which  sells 
for  something  between  $15  and  $20.  There  is  a  vast 
difference  in  the  style  and  quality  of  these  medium 
priced  rods.  While  they  are  all  of  them  pretty  fair 
rods  some  of  them  are  very  much  better  than  others. 
Select  the  rod  carefully.  Compare  the  different  rods 
as  regards  their  dimensions  and  mountings,  their 
weights,  etc.  Within  the  last  few  years  a  fly-rod  has 
been  developed  which  differs  considerably,  when  a  num- 
ber of  small  variations  from  the  rod  of  a  few  yearf; 
ago  are  added  together,  from  what  may  be  called  the 
"  old-fashioned "  rod.  The  new  rod  may,  perhaps, 
best  be  described,  as  being  of  "  tournament  style." 
And  that  is  the  sort  of  rod  you  want. 

And  now  as  to  the  unquestionably  high  grade  split- 
bamboo  rods.  These  rods  may  be  had  for  from  $25 
to  $45,  in  the  three-joint-extra-tip  style,  with  an  aver- 
age price  of  $30.  Do  not  think  they  are  not  worth 
It.  While  for  various  reasons  it  is  not  advisable  for 
one  to  spend  that  amount  for  a  beginner's  rod,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  the  fairly  well  advanced  angler  who  can  af- 
ford It  should  not  hesitate  to  avail  himself  of  the  many 
undoubted  advantages  they  offer.  Although  the  va- 
riation in  desirability  of  these  rods  is  not,  for  general 
purposes,  as  large  as  in  the  case  of  those  of  medium 


48      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

price,  it  is  well  to  look  around  a  little  before  commit- 
ting yourself. 

The  best  rods  of  lancewood,  greenheart  and  other 
solid  woods  may  be  had  for  from  $8  to  $i2.  Any 
of  these  rods  is  much  better  than  a  split-bamboo  at 
the  same  price,  and  will  give  the  angler  long  and  faith- 
ful service,  although  they  are  not,  as  we  have  said, 
as  well  adapted  to  fly-casting  as  the  good  quality  split- 
bamboo.     The  noibwood  fly-rod  sells  for  $15. 

The  best  test  of  a  fly-rod  is  ten  years'  hard  work 

on  a  trout  stream ;  but,  since  your  tackle  dealer  would 

probably  be  somewhat  reluctant  about 

^,  ^  r}^^     having  the  rod  returned  as  not  up  to 
the   Rod.  I         ^        J     r    1  .   1    .    • 

scratch  at  the  end  of  that  period,  it  is 

necessary  to  test  it  in  some  other  way.  If  you  have 
ever  seen  a  rank  novice  selecting  a  rod  you  should 
know,  at  any  rate,  how  not  to  test  the  rod.  He  takes 
hold  of  the  extreme  butt-end  of  the  handgrasp,  gin- 
gerly, and,  in  the  most  perfectly  lady-like  manner,  as 
if  the  rod  were  made  of  glass,  gently  wafts  it  to  and 
fro  through  the  sporting  atmosphere  of  the  tackle  shop, 
failing  utterly  to  put  the  slightest  snap,  bend  or  action 
into  it.  And  if  the  variegated  tints  of  the  windings 
happen  to  suit  his  artistic  fancy,  why,  he  just  simply 
buys.     It's  nice  for  the  tackle  man. 

Do  not  be  afraid  of  the  rod  —  it  will  not  bite  you, 
nor  will  it  break  —  but  grasp  it  firmly,  with  the  thumb 
on  top  and  along  the  handgrasp  as  in  actual  casting, 
and  put  the  rod  to  work,  into  action.     It  should  bend 


CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  FLY-ROD       49 

right  from  the  handgrasp  to  the  tip-end.  Make  sure 
that  the  balance  and  weight  suit  you,  and  that  the  rod 
feels  full  of  life  and  speed.  When  testing  the  rod 
for  balance,  weight  and  action  it  should  be  rigged 
with  the  size  and  sort  of  reel  you  intend  to  use  with 
It,  as  this  may  make  a  very  great  difference  in  the 
feel  of  the  rod.  Be  sure  that  the  rod  does  not  feel 
heavy  out-of-hand,  for  if  it  does  it  is  top-heavy;  while 
top-heavy  rods  are  sometimes  very  strong  casters  they 
are  unpleasant  and  very  tiring  rods  to  use.  One  of 
the  tests  of  the  good  shotgun  or  rifle  is  the  absolute 
exactness  of  fit  or  jointure  of  every  part.  This  must 
also  be  required  of  the  fly-rod.  See  that  every  part 
fits  every  adjacent  part  with  nicety,  especially  with  rc 
gard  to  the  joints  of  the  strips  of  cane.  In  cheap 
rods  you  will  find  places  where  the  strips  of  cane  lie 
open  like  gaps  in  the  planking  of  a  leaky  skiff. 

If  you  hold  the  rod  straight  out  in  front  of  you, 
you  will  notice  that  it  bends  down  slightly  —  if  the 
bend  is  more  than  slight,  discard  the  rod,  it  is  too 
whippy  —  and  the  bend  should  be  graceful  and  even. 
Still  holding  the  rod  in  this  manner,  rotate  the  rod 
on  its  axis,  and  during  the  entire  period  of  rotation 
see  that  the  bend  or  "  dip  "  remains  constant.  If  at 
some  time  during  the  rotation  the  point  of  the  tip 
moves  upward,  it  denotes  a  sufficient  fault  of  construe* 
tion  or  material  to  warrant  setting  the  rod  aside.  If 
the  rod  successfully  passes  the  tests  suggested,  then  fit 
it  with  a  suitable  reel  and  line,  reeving  the  line  through 


50     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

the  guides  as  for  fishing.  Reel  oflE  a  convenient  length 
of  line  and  attach  the  end  of  it  to  some  substantial 
object  or  have  someone  hold  it.  Then,  steadily,  put  a 
good  stiff  strain  on  the  rod  and  carefully  examine  the 
bend.  As  said  above  the  rod  should  bend  evenly 
throughout  its  entire  length  from  handgrasp  to  tip- 
end;  the  bend  should  not  be  entirely  confined  to  the 
middle-joint  and  tip  as  is  often  the  case.  An  even, 
graceful  bend  spells  equal  distribution  of  strength,  and 
equally  distributed  strength  means  long  life  to  the  rod. 
Put  this  strain  on  the  rod  with  the  guides  both  above 
and  below  the  rod,  and  also  with  the  sides  of  the  rod 
held  upward.  The  pull  of  a  hooked  fish  and  the  strain 
upon  the  rod  when  casting  are  by  no  means  from  one 
direction  only,  and  the  rod  must  be  capable  of  sus- 
taining with  equal  resilience  and  safety,  strains  com- 
ing from  any  direction.  After  each  of  these  tests  for 
equality  of  bend  see  that  the  rod  returns  readily  and 
at  once  to  its  normal  straightness.  If  it  does  not,  but 
seems  to  have  a  slight  "  set,"  or  to  come  back  in  a 
lifeless  manner,  it  lacks  resiliency  and  backbone  and 
on  no  account  should  be  accepted.  Finally,  if  the  cir- 
cumstances are  such  that  it  is  possible,  do  some  actual 
casting  with  the  rod. 

As  a  general  axiom  it  may  be  said 

Use  and     ^j^^t   split-bamboo  rods   require  consid- 

Rod  erably   more   care   than    those   of   solid 

wood;   and   since,    for  fly-casting,   your 

rod  will  preferably  be  of  split-bamboo,  you  must  be 


CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  FLY-ROD       51 

prepared  to  take  good  care  of  it.  By  all  means  learn 
how  to  wind  a  rod  so  that  frayed  or  loosened  guide  or 
ferrule  windings  may  be  replaced  at  once  without  wait- 
ing for  a  rod  maker  or  anyone  else  to  do  it  for  you. 
Any  experienced  angler  will  gladly  show  you  the  trick, 
or  you  can  pick  it  up  from  one  of  the  tackle  books,  such 
as  Mr.  Wells'  Fly-Rods  And  Fly-Tackle  before  re- 
ferred to.  Wipe  the  rod  dry  after  fishing  and  before 
putting  it  away  in  the  rod  case. 

The  handiest  single  rod  case  is  one  of  canvas,  par- 
titioned, with  a  small,  cylindrical,  metal  or  wood  tip- 
case.  For  carrying  two  or  more  rods  a  leather  rod 
case  may  be  used.  The  cost  varies  with  the  size.  One 
of  ordinary  size  and  of  stiffened  leather,  costs  about 
$4;  of  sole  leather  $12.  They  are  heavy,  unwieldy 
affairs,  and,  if  possible,  it  is  better  not  to  use  one. 
However,  for  shipping  rods  by  express,  and  on  very 
hard  trips  where  several  rods  are  carried  (in  this  con- 
nection see  the  "  tourist  "  fly-rod)  they  are  indispensa- 
ble. 

If  you  keep  the  rod  in  a  wooden  form  never  tie  the 
strings  or  buckle  the  straps  too  tightly,  as  this  results 
in  warping  the  joints.  For  the  same  reason  never 
lean  the  rod  either  jointed  or  taken-down  against  any- 
thing. 

Do  not  allow  the  rod  to  He  on  the  ground.  Damp- 
ness, and  fragility  of  rod  when  in  contact  with  large, 
hobnailed  wading  boots  are  the  reasons.  Dampness 
will  very  quickly  ruin  the  very  best  of  fly-rods. 


52     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

Work  toward  the  butt  when  assembling  the  rod. 
First  assemble  the  tip  and  middle-joint;  the  butt-joint 
comes  last.  Take  the  rod  down  just  reverse,  starting 
with  the  butt-joint.  Do  not,  as  you  value  the  long 
life  of  your  rod,  twist  the  ferrules  either  in  assembling 
or  taking  down  the  rod.  When  assembling  the  rod 
in  a  boat  or  canoe  reeve  the  line  through  the  guides 
before  putting  the  joints  together. 

When  going  through  brush  with  the  rod  rigged  for 
fishing  carry  the  rod  in  front  —  do  not  drag  it  be- 
hind you  —  and  go  slowly.  If  there  is  any  considera- 
ble amount  of  brush-going  to  traverse  take  the  rod 
down.     You  will  save  time  and  other  things. 

Learn  to  splice  a  rod  at  the  stream-side  —  and  then 
see  to  it  that  you  never  have  to  use  the  knowledge. 

In  taking  leave  of  the  subject  of  the  trout  fly-rod  the 
writer  wishes  once  more  to  say:  Get  a  good  rod. 
You  will  find  that  the  use  of  good 
rp  ,  ,  tackle  makes  all  the  difference  in  the 
world.  You  will  acquire  a  different  an- 
gling view-point,  one  not  wholly  concerned  with  the 
weight  or  number  of  the  fish  you  catch.  And  there's 
something  about  a  first-class  rod  that  makes  you  want 
to  learn  how  to  handle  it  in  a  first-class  way  —  and 
that  is  a  pretty  interesting  game,  and  one  not  too  easily 
mastered.  Of  no  class  of  goods  is  it  more  true  that 
the  best  is,  in  the  end,  the  cheapest,  than  of  fishing 
tackle;  and,  absolutely  apart  from  its  actual  use,  there 
is  a  very  certain  satisfaction  in  the  mere  ownership  of 


CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  FLY-ROD       53 

rods  and  other  tackle  which  you  know  are  beyond 

criticism.     That    trout    and    other    game   fishes   may 

be  taken   on   cheap   tackle  is  quite  true.     It  is  also 

true  that  good  tackle,  for  its  own  sake,  is  assuredly 

worth  while. 

The  use  of  the  rod  in  casting  can  best  be  learned 

at  the  stream-side  as  distinguished  from  the  library. 

Any  old  hand  can  very  quickly  show  you  ^- 

,  ,         t         .  ,       , .        Fly-casting. 

how  much  you  know  in  regard  to  this  — ► 

that  IS,  if  you  are  willing  to  learn.  But  be  careful 
about  choosing  your  tutor.  Not  every  man  who  wears 
a  halo  of  gaudy  trout  flies  on  his  hat-band  is  a  fly-fish- 
erman;  in  fact,  very  few  of  them  are.  Pretty  nearly 
every  man  who  ever  caught  a  trout  "  knows  all  about 
fly-fishing  "  but,  strangely  enough,  prefers  to  use  bait ; 
or,  quite  possibly,  in  fact  rather  more  possibly,  uses 
bait  and,  for  exclusively  conversational  purposes,  pre- 
fers to  use  flies.  Needless  to  say,  this  sort  of  fly-fish- 
erman will  not  make  a  very  profitable  or  efficient 
coach.  In  a  way  it  is  a  simple  matter,  casting  a  fly; 
but  it's  one  of  the  things  which  are  well  worth  while 
doing  "  right  " —  and  that  is  not  so  simple. 

In  default  of  personal  coaching,  however,  the  follow- 
ing suggestions  concerning  how  to  cast  with  the  fly- 
rod  may  be  of  advantage.  Fly-casting  is  a  matter  of 
two  motions,  the  back  cast  and  the  for\^^ard  cast. 
It  is  also  a  matter  of  the  wrist  —  not  a  straight-arm 
shoulder-swing  —  and  that  brings  us  to  the  first  es- 
sential advice.     The  proper  way  to  hold  the  rod  is  to 


54      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

have  the  thumb  extended  along  the  upper  surface  of 
the  handgrasp  and  not  bent  around  it.  If  you  hold 
the  rod  in  this  way  it  will  help  getting  your  wrist 
into  the  cast.  Another  thing,  mentioned  later,  also, 
in  connection  with  the  single-action  reel:  Have  the 
reel  on  the  under  side  of  the  rod  (and  keep  it  there) 
with  the  handle  to  the  right. 

To  make  the  back  cast,  using  to  start  your  practice 
about  fifteen  feet  of  line,  the  rod  is  swung  smartly 
backward,  overhead,  to  a  position  just  a  little  beyond 
the  perpendicular.  The  line  must  be  thrown  well  up 
into  the  air  so  that  it  will  not  strike  the  ground  or 
water  behind  the  caster.  To  make  sure  of  this  the 
rod  must  never  be  allowed  to  go  very  far  back.  If, 
as  advised,  you  stop  the  rod  when  it  is  slightly  beyond 
the  perpendicular  the  momentum  of  the  back-swing 
and  bend  of  the  rod  will  carry  it  to  the  right  position. 
A  high  back  cast  is  essential  to  good  fly-casting.  Keep 
your  elbow  low  and  not  too  far  from  the  body  — 
not  so  close  as  to  cramp  the  arm  and  make  the  mo- 
tion awkward  —  and  try  to  make  the  rod  do  the  work. 
That  is  what  a  fly-rod  is  for.  The  rod  will  do  the 
work  if  you  get  sufficient  bend,  or  action,  into  it.  It 
will  not  do  the  work  if  you  cast  at  arm's  length.  To 
get  rod  action  you  must  use  your  wrist. 

Start  the  forward  cast  when  the  line  first  apprecia- 
bly begins  to  pull  on  the  rod  from  the  rear,  and  bring 
the  rod  forward  and  down  to  a  position  a  little  above 


CHOICE  AND  USE  OF  FLY-ROD       53 

parallel  with  the  water.  The  back  cast  should  be 
started  rather  forcefully;  the  forward  cast  should  start 
easily  and  finish  strongly.  When  fishing  do  not  delay 
the  back  cast  too  long  —  until  the  flies  are  at  your 
feet.  At  first  no  attempt  to  gain  distance  should  be 
made.  Reasonable  distance  comes  naturally  with  in- 
creased skill  in  casting  without  special  effort  in  that 
direction.  Accuracy,  rather,  is  the  practical  fishing 
essential ;  and  try  to  lay  down  a  light  fly. 

As  soon  as  possible  learn  to  handle  the  line  in  the 
left  hand;  the  longer  you  delay  this  the  harder  it  is 
to  learn.  This  method  is  employed  by  the  majority 
of  experienced  fly-fishermen  and  has  numerous  ad- 
vantages. Briefly,  the  line  should  be  held  in  the  left 
hand,  grasping  it  between  the  reel  and  first  guide,  thus 
controlling  at  all  times  the  rendition  and  recovery  of 
the  line.  There  should  always  be  a  little  slack  line 
off  the  reel  for  the  left  hand  to  work  on.  When  you 
have  progressed  with  your  casting  you  will  learn  to 
shoot  out  this  slack  line  through  the  rod  guides  at  the 
finish  of  the  forward  cast,  thus  adding  a  number  of 
feet  to  the  cast.  Also  it  is  possible  to  play  a  trout  in 
this  two-handed  manner  with  much  more  finesse  than 
from  the  reel.  The  left  hand  feels,  even  anticipates, 
every  movement  of  the  fish,  and  the  trout  is  never 
too  roughly  handled. 

The  cast  here  described  is  the  overhead.  There 
are  other  advantageous  fishing  casts  such  as  the  side 


56     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

or  underhanded  cast,  the  backhanded  cast,  the  spey 
cast  and  others.  These  are  mostly  variations  of  the 
overhanded  cast,  fundamentally  the  same,  and  descrip- 
tions of  them  may  be  found  elsewhere. 


CHAPTER  V 

REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS 

THE  choice  of  the  reel  and  line  for  trout  fly- 
fishing is  a  matter  of  no  difficulty  whatever 
—  of  so  little  difficulty,  in  fact,  that  not  one 
angler  in  twenty  uses  the  proper  kind  of  reel  or  the 
right  sort  of  line.  All  tackle  for  fly-fishing  is  highly 
specialized ;  and,  while  it  is  true  that  if  you  know  what 
you  want,  proper  selection  is  easy,  it  is  equally  true  that, 
since  a  very  large  part  of  the  immense  variety  of  tackle 
is  wholly  unsuited  to  fly-casting,  it  is  very  easy  to  make 
mistakes.  Fly-casting  as  it  should  be  done  can  be  done 
effectively  only  with  the  proper  tools;  and  one  of  these 
tools  is 

The  Single-action  Click  Reel. 

Just  why  the  single-action  click  reel  is  the  only 
satisfactory  implement  for  the  fly-caster  can,  as  regards 
its  chief  claim  for  precedence,  be  stated  with  brevity. 
It  IS  because  the  single-action  reel  does  not  have  an 
outstanding  "  balance  "  handle  upon  which,  continually 
and  with  devilish  insistence,  the  line  is  bound  to  catch. 
The  stream  fly-fisherman  who  has  to  contend  with  the 

57 


58      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

innumerable  natural  dIfBculties  of  the  river —  thick 
brush,  sh'ppery  rocks,  overhanging  trees  that  lie  in 
vi^ait  for  careless  back  casts,  and  numerous  other  natural 
impediments  —  can  ill  afford  to  utilize  a  tool  which 
by  Its  very  nature  is  calculated  to  increase  his  troubles; 
and  every  form  of  multiplying  reel,  since  the  gearing 
necessitates  an  outstanding  balance  handle,  is  a  first- 
class  trouble-maker  for  the  fly-caster.  The  very  gen- 
eral custom  among  expert  anglers,  when  fly-fishing,  of 
manipulating  the  line  with  the  hand  not  occupied  with 
the  rod,  grasping  the  line  between  the  reel  and  the 
hand-guide,  and  thus  paying-out  and  retrieving  the  line 
both  in  casting  and  playing  a  trout  quite  independently 
of  the  reel,  using  the  reel  only  when  there  is  too  much 
slack,  renders  the  reel  but  little  more  than  a  mere  line- 
holder.  And  even  when  the  reel  is  used  when  landing 
a  fish  the  multiplying  machinery  is  not  necessary, 
indeed,  is  dangerous,  since  the  tendency  is  toward 
handling  the  trout  altogether  too  strenuously.  The 
single-action  reel  is  fully  equal  to  every  trout-fishing 
emergency. 

In  addition  to  its  freedom  from  line-fouling  the 
single-action  has  also  the  advantage  in  weight  over  the 
multipliers,  as  a  result  of  which  the  light  fly-rod 
balances  better.  Another  argument  for  the  single-ac- 
tion is  its  simplicity  and  consequently  its  lesser  tendency 
to  get  out  of  order  and  greater  ability  to  withstand  the 
sometimes  unavoidable  hard  knocks  and  abuse  which 
a  reel  receives  in  stream  fishing.     And  still  another 


Single-Action  Click  Reels 
For  use  in  fly-casting  for  trout  and  bass 


Quadruple-multiplying-  Casting  Reels 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS  59 

favorable  thing  is  the  price.  A  very  fine  single-action 
reel  can  be  procured  for  a  third  of  what  a  multiplier 
of  equal  grade  would  cost.  So,  for  trout  fishing,  the 
selection  of  the  reel  is  not  a  question  of  what  sort  of 
reel  but,  rather,  what  sort  of  single-action  click  reel 
should  be  chosen. 

In  construction  the  single-action  reel  is  simplicity 
Itself,   and   the  variation  in   different  makes  of  reels 
of  this  sort  is  slight  and  not  worthy  of     How  the 
comment.     Briefly,   the  reel  consists  of      -p     |   . 
the  spool  which  revolves  within  the  side        Made 
plates,  the  motive  power  being  supplied 
by  the  handle  which  is  attached  to  one  end  of  the 
spool    shaft;    at    the    other    end    of    the    spool    shaft 
is  a  small  cog-wheel,  or  spur-wheel,  which  connects 
with  a  small  wedge-shaped  piece  of  metal,  the  "  pawl," 
the  latter  being  affixed  to  the  side-plate  and  working 
on  a  pivot  within  a  circular  steel  wire  spring.     The 
pawl  and  pawl-spring  in  connection  with   the  spur- 
wheel  supply  the  entire  click  mechanism.     The  click 
should  be  strong,  and  the  "  song  of  the  reel "  fine  and 
clear,  with  a  metallic  ring  which  denotes  good  ma- 
terial —  well-tempered  steel.     See  that  the  spool  is  nar- 
row so  that,  when  reeling  in,  the  line  will  build  up 
on  the  reel  rapidly,  thus  making  the  retrieve  faster. 

The   reel   should   be   made   with   an 
ample   "  protecting  band "   around   the        r     h 
edge  of  the  side  plate  on  the  handle  side 
of  the  reel,  within  which  band  the  reel  handle  revolves. 


6o     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

It  IS  the  protecting  band  which  makes  the  single-action 
reel  practically  free  from  line-fouling  —  the  important 
thing.  If  the  protecting  band  has  sufficient  projection 
It  makes  little  difference  whether  the  reel  handle  is 
"  balanced  "  or  not ;  that  is,  whether  the  handle  is  full- 
sized,  extending  quite  across  the  side  plate  and  with 
a  weight  or  balance  at  the  extremity,  the  most  common 
American  construction,  or  simply  a  short  crank  with- 
out extension  or  balance.  Personally,  I  think  the  bal- 
ance handle  gives  the  reel  a  more  finished  appearance 
and  a  slightly  better  action.  Another  form  of  single- 
action  reel  construction,  known  as  the  English  style, 
does  away  with  both  protecting  band  and  reel  handle 
proper.  In  this  form  of  reel  a  disk  revolving  within 
the  side  plate  is  attached  directly  to  the  reel  shaft,  and 
the  reel  handle  is  simply  a  small  knob,  preferably 
slightly  tapered  outward,  fixed  to  the  disk.  In  a  good 
many  ways  this  is  the  best  sort  of  reel  for  fly-fishing. 

As  regards  materials,  reels  may  be  had  of  nickeled 
brass,  German  silver,  hard  rubber,  hard  rubber  and 
nickel  in  combination,  hard  rubber  and 
German  silver,  and,  also,  of  aluminum. 
Choose  either  a  reel  of  entire  German  silver  or  one  of 
hard  rubber  with  protecting  band,  spool  and  handle 
of  German  silver.  Nickeled  reels  do  not  give  con- 
tinued satisfaction,  since  the  plating  wears  off  and  the 
reel  takes  on  a  generally  tough  appearance.  Reels  of 
hard  rubber  only,  with  no  metal  bands  about  the  side 
plates,  are  very  light  and  good  reels,  but  they  arc  ccr- 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS         6i 

tainly  not  to  be  recommended  because  of  their  great 
liability  to  breakage.  It  is  simply  a  matter  of  dropping 
the  rod-butt  on  a  rock  —  and  getting  a  new  reel. 
Aluminum  reels  are  not  to  be  recommended  for  the 
same  reason ;  the  metal  is  apt  to  be  too  soft.  A  reel  of 
solid  German  silver  is  rather  an  expensive  tool,  but 
reels  of  this  sort  are  very  fine  ones.  The  metal  is  hard, 
long-lasting  and  clean  and  these  reels  are  very  service- 
able. The  reel  of  hard  rubber,  with  German  silver 
bands  and  handle,  and  spool  of  the  same  material  or 
aluminum,  is,  on  the  whole,  the  reel  which  can  most 
unreservedly  be  advised.  The  cost  is  not  excessive; 
the  reel  looks  well  and  wears  well ;  it  is  strong  enough 
to  stand  hard  usage ;  it  is  light,  and,  in  the  various  sizes, 
can  be  procured  to  balance  nicely  fly-rods  of  any 
length  and  weight. 

If  economy  is  an  object  it  may  be  said  that  the 
reel  of  hard  rubber,  with  nickeled  bands  and  handle, 
IS  the  best.  In  a  good  many  instances  the  mechanism 
of  these  reels  is  of  the  same  good  quality  as  that  fur- 
nished in  rubber  and  German  silver.  In  some  cases 
the  reels  are,  in  fact,  the  same;  the  only  difference  be- 
ing in  the  German  silver  and  nickel;  this,  of  course, 
as  regards  the  product  of  any  one  manufacturer  and 
the  best  rubber  and  nickel  reel  of  that  manufacturer. 
In  the  makeup  of  these  reels  there  is  enough  rubber 
to  partly  take  away  the  curse  of  the  nickel,  and  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  have  one  of  these  reels  along  if  only  for 
a  "reserve."    When  outfitting  for  an  extended  fish- 


62      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

ing  trip  be  sure  that  a  reserve  reel  is  in  the  kit.  H 
your  reel  is  broken  or  lost,  either  of  which  things  can 
easily  happen  m  the  woods,  the  extra  one  will  come  in 
rather  handy. 

Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  getting  a  reel  that  is 

too  small.     It  is  advisable  to  get  as  much  retrieving 

speed  as  possible  out  of  the  reel,  and  this 

T?^  1  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^^"^  ^^'  ^^^^>  having  the 

reel  spool  narrow,  and,  second,  having 
the  reel  of  sufficient  size  so  that  you  can  wind  on  a  core 
of  linen  or  other  cheap  line  which  builds  up  on  the  reel 
to  such  an  extent  that,  when  the  casting  line  (spliced 
to  the  linen  line)  is  reached,  the  barrel  of  the  reel  will 
be  large  enough  to  take  up  considerable  line  at  each 
revolution.  Either  the  lOO-yard  size  or  the  8o-yard 
size  will  be  right  —  nothing  smaller.  The  lOO-yard 
reel  holds  about  40  yards  of  size  E  enameled  line ;  the 
80-yard  reel  about  35  yards.  You  see  that  when  the 
expression  "  80-yard  reel "  is  applied  to  the  single- 
action  it  does  not  mean  exactly  that.  Ordinarily  you 
will  probably  not  use  over  25  yards  of  level  line,  either 
E  or  F.  But  if,  sometime,  you  desired  to  use  say 
40  yards  of  line,  and  in  the  case  of  most  anglers  such 
a  contingency  is  not  at  all  remote,  if  your  reel  hap- 
pened to  be  one  of  the  smaller  sizes  you  would  be  put 
to  the  expense  of  a  new  reel.  With  a  100-yard  reel 
you  would  merely  remove  some  of  the  core  line.  On 
the  whole  the  100-yard  size  is  the  best.  This  reel  will 
hold  all  the  line  you  are  ever  likely  to  need  in  trout 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS  63 

fishing  and,  when  using  the  customary  25  yards  of 
level  E  or  F  line,  it  allows  a  good-sized  core  of  other 
line  to  be  wound  on  the  spool  for  the  purpose  explained 
above.  But  for  very  short,  light  fly-rods  a  smaller  reel 
must  be  used  to  obtain  proper  balance,  and  since,  in 
this  case,  a  smaller  line  will  be  used,  the  6c)-yard  reel 
will  answer. 

The  position  of  the  single-action  click  reel  on  the 
trout  fly-rod,  as  every  old  hand  knows,  is  underneath 
the  rod  with  the  handle  to  the  right,  if 
you  are  right  handed.     If  you  aspire  to     Position 
an  honorable  status  in  the  most  ancient      piv-rod 
and  honorable  fraternity  of  fly-casters, 
and  for  numerous  other  weighty  reasons,  take  due  no- 
tice.    The  proper  way  to  use  the  reel  in  fly-casting  is, 
as  suggested  above,  to  use  it  as  little  as  possible.     The 
"  shooting "   of  the  line  through   the  rod   guides  at 
the  end  of  the  forward  cast,  whereby  tournament  fly- 
casters  make  such  remarkable  distance  casts  and  the 
stream  fly-fisherman  may  drop  his  flies  in  a  desirable 
spot  quite  beyond  reach  of  the  one-handed  caster,  is 
founded  entirely  on  the  caster's  ability  to  use  in  this 
way  the  hand  not  occupied  by  the  rod.     All  of  which 
IS  preparatory  to  the  statement  that  only  with  the  reel 
underneath  the  rod  is  this  method  at  all  practicable. 

As  to  how  much  you  will  have   to 
pay  for  a  good  single-action  reel,  it  may  ^^^  Good 
be  said  that  their  prices  vary  from,  say, 
$3.50  to  $10.00;  you  can  pay  more  if  you  like  and, 


64     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

also,  less ;  good  reels  of  hard  rubber  and  nickel  may  be 
had  for  $1.75  in  the  lOO-yard  size.  In  the  same  size 
a  reel  of  hard  rubber  and  German  silver  costs  from 
$3.50  to  $6.00,  depending  upon  the  maker  —  and  some- 
what upon  the  seller.  The  regulation  hard  rubber  reel 
with  bands  and  handle  of  German  silver  or  nickel  is 
furnished  in  pretty  nearly  the  same  style  by  all  the 
tackle  dealers,  and  individual  reels  of  this  sort  need  not 
here  be  noted.  Two  of  the  many  good  reels  which  are 
worthy  of  special  notice  are  described  as  follows: 
The  first  is  made  with  German  silver  side  plates  and 
spool,  and  bronze  frame ;  the  reel  with  side  plates  2 J4 
inches  in  diameter,  weighs  4j4  ounces  and  carries  40 
yards  of  E  enameled  line;  the  handle  is  not  balanced 
—  a  fault  or  a  merit,  suit  yourself  —  and  the  reel  has 
an  ample  protecting  band.  This  reel  costs  $8.50  and  is 
worth  it.  For  obvious  reasons  it  would  not  do  to 
name  it  more  specifically.  The  other  is  a  solid  metal 
reel  of  German  silver  with  aluminum  spool.  It  is  of 
the  protecting  band  style  and  has  a  balance  handle.  It 
is  a  strong,  durable  reel  and  a  very  handsome  one.  Its 
capacity  is  about  the  same  as  that  of  the  first;  but  it 
costs  more  —  $10.00.  For  a  very  light  reel,  cheap  in 
price  but  still  a  good  enough  reel,  the  Featherlight 
should  be  noted.  Although  made  very  light  it  is  fairly 
strong.  This  reel  is  of  the  revolving  disk  order,  the 
English  style,  and  they  differ  from  the  ordinary  reel 
enough  to  preclude  description  here.  They  cost  about 
$1.50. 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS  65 

Then  there  are  the  English  style  reels  with  revolv- 
ing-disk handle.  Almost  every  tackle  dealer  furnishes 
reels  of  this  sort  in  various  grades.  The  best  one 
known  to  the  writer,  all  things  considered,  is  an  im- 
ported reel  known  as  the  Malloch.  In  the  2j^-inch 
size  It  costs  $5.50. 

In  the  matter  of  how  to  take  care  of  the  reel  it 
seems  better  to  discuss  this  in  connection  with  the  mul- 
tiplying casting  reels.     The  mechanism 
of  the  single-action   reel   is  so  simple,      How  to 
and  the  work  it  is  called  upon  to  do     ^^    u^^ 
usually  so  very  slight,  that  the  reel  re-        Reel 
quires   little   care   to   keep   it   in    good 
order  —  and  that  is  the  reason  why  there  is  no  excuse 
for  not  keeping  it  in  good  shape.     A  leather  reel  case 
should  be  procured  and,  also,  used. 

The  Line. 
The  perfect  line  for  fly-fishing  must,  in  addition  to 
the  requirements  of  strength  and  imperviousness  to 
water,  be  smooth  and  hard  so  that  it  may  run  freely 
through  the  guides,  and,  while  quite  flexible,  must  be 
sufficiently  stiff  so  that  it  will  not  kink  or  wind  about 
the  rod.  The  only  line  which  fully  answers  these 
requirements  is  the  "waterproof,  enameled  silk  line." 
The  waterproof,  enameled  silk  line  is  perfectly  adapted 
to  the  purpose  of  fly-casting,  and  the  wise  angler  will 
save  himself  much  trouble  and  loss  of  temper  and  trout, 
to  say  nothing  of  expense,  by  attempting  to  use  no 


66      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

other.  A  line  sometimes  recommended  as  a  substi- 
tute for  the  enameled  line  is  known  as  the  "  oiled  silk  " 
.line.  This  sort  of  line  bears  no  comparison  to  the 
enameled  line.  It  does  not  work  well  on  the  rod,  and 
in  casting  and  lasting  qualities  is  far  inferior  to  the 
enameled  line. 

The  best  enameled  lines  of  the  present  time  are  solid 
braided  —  that  is,  not  braided  over  a  core  —  from  the 
l>^ery  finest  silk,  and  are  waterproofed  in  a  vacuum, 
under  the  exhausted  receiver  of  an  air-pump,  thus 
insuring  thorough  permeation  ^of  the  waterproofing 
medium.  This  process,  sometimes  called  the  Halford 
vacuum  process,  from  the  fact  that  it  is  the  result  of 
experiments  by  Mr.  F.  M.  Halford,  before  mentioned 
as  the  author  of  Dry-Fly  Fishing,  is  a  very  complicated 
one,  comprising  repeated  dressings  of  the  line  with  oil 
in  the  vacuum  followed  after  each  dressing  by  "  cur- 
ing "  the  line  at  a  temperature  of  150  degrees  Fahren- 
heit. The  line  is  finally  highly  hand  polished.  The 
result  is  not  a  merely  superficial  enamel  which  is  lia- 
ble to  knuckle  and  crack,  thus  permitting  water  to 
rot  the  line,  but  the  line  is  in  fact,  and  not  in  theory 
or  for  purposes  of  sale,  waterproof.  The  whole  busi- 
ness of  waterproofing  lines  is  surrounded  by  the  tackle 
makers  with  a  most  mysterious  and  impenetrable  se- 
cretiveness ;  consequently  it  is  rather  hard  for  the  lay- 
man to  speak  with  authority  on  the  subject.  The 
method  is  substantially  as  described. 

Enameled  fly-lines  are  made  in  two  styles  known  as 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS         67 

level  and  taper.  The  level  line  is  the  same  size 
throughout  its  length.  The  taper  line  is  tapered  to- 
ward the  end  for  a  certain  distance,  the  length  of  the 
taper  varying  with  the  make.  Tapered  lines  are 
either  single  or  double  tapered.  The  single  taper  line 
grows  finer  toward  one  end  only.  The  double  tapered 
line  is  fined  down  at  both  ends.  The  taper  line  will  be 
more  particularly  discussed  in  a  later  paragraph. 

For  average  trout  fly-fishing  an  enameled  line  size  E 
or  F,  level,  is  most  used.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  a  fly-line  should  be  selected  rather  with  its  casting 
qualities  in  view  than  with  reference  to  its  capacity 
for  holding  fish.  A  very  fine  line,  in  expert  hands, 
will  hold  a  very  large  trout;  but  a  line  that  is  too 
fine  does  not  cast  well.  The  line  must  have  a  certain 
weight  in  order  to  carry  well  through  the  air.  The 
careless  or  uninformed  angler  frequently  makes  the 
mistake  of  using  a  light  line  on  a  heavy  rod,  or,  possibly, 
a  heavy  line  on  a  light  rod ;  and  in  either  case  the  re- 
sult is  absolute  inability  to  cast  with  any  sort  of  ef- 
ficiency. Even  by  expert  casters  good  casting  cannot 
be  done  with  a  rod  and  line  mutually  unfit;  and  that 
the  beginner  can  do  better  is  doubtful.  With  care- 
fully and  well-selected  tackle  the  beginner  is  sure  to 
have  his  troubles;  but  with  hastily  and  poorly  selected 
tackle  the  agony  is  soon  over  —  the  tentative  fly-fish- 
erman simply  quits  the  game. 

For  a  ten-foot  rod  having  plenty  of  backbone  select 
size  E. 


68     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

Size  F  is  best  for  rods  under  ten  feet  and  rather 
light. 

It  may  seem  to  you  that  these  lines  are  rather  coarse 
for  small  stream  fishing  where  the  water  is  very  clear, 
but  the  six-foot  gut  leader  supplies  the  necessary  term- 
inal fineness. 

A  good  quality  size  E  enameled  line  tests  28  pounds ; 
size  F  22  pounds.  Manufacturers  have  a  tendency  to 
make  fly-lines  in  fancy  colors.  Select  a  line  of  subdued 
color,  one  that  will  be  inconspicuous  in  the  water. 
Some  dealers  list  their  lines  by  number  instead  of  by 
letter.  The  following  shows  the  corresponding  sizes 
beginning  with  the  smallest:  No.  6=H,  No.  5=G, 
No.  4=F,  No.  3=E,  No.  2=T>,  No.  i==C. 

These  lines  come  usually  in  coils  of  25  yards.  For 
ordinary  occasions  one  coil  is  all  that  the  angler  need 
purchase;  but  if  the  fishing  is  to  be  rather  heavy,  as 
in  some  of  the  Maine  streams  and  lakes,  or  for  sea 
trout  or  landlocked  salmon,  forty  yards  will  be  neces- 
sary. A  line  twenty-five  yards  in  length  allows  the 
angler,  as  above  noted,  to  use  a  core  of  cheaper  line 
when  a  100-  or  8oyard  reel  is  used. 

The  taper  line  has  its  advantages  and  also  its  dis- 
advantages. Chief  among  its  claims  to  precedence 
over  the  level  line  is  the  one  that  with 

l^vei  vs.  j|.  longer  casts  are  possible.  It  has  fre- 
quently, in  theory,  been  conclusively 
proved  that  this  is  not  so  —  but  it  is.  Taper 
lines  are  used   as  a  matter   of  course  by   all   long- 


o 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS         69 

distance  tournament  fly-casters  at  the  present  time. 
But  long  distance  casting  is  seldom  of  use  to  the 
stream  fly-fisherman.  Casts  of  any  necessary  fishing 
distance  can  be  made  with  the  level  line.  Herein  is 
the  advantage  of  the  taper  line:  it  is  in  the  combina- 
tion of  terminal  fineness  together  vi^ith  the  necessary 
casting  weight  which  is  supplied  by  the  "  swell "  of 
the  line.  This  combination  of  fineness  with  weight  is 
of  great  advantage  for  lake  fly-fishing,  for  fishing  large, 
quiet  pools  in  streams,  and  wide  stretches  of  "  still 
waters."  In  such  places  great  delicacy  and  consid- 
erable distance  are  very  requisite  and  the  taper  line 
makes  this  delicacy  and  distance  possible;  with  it  far 
and  fine  casts  are  in  the  power  of  the  expert  caster. 
In  effect  you  cast  a  G  line  to  the  distance  ordinarily 
only  attained  by  a  line  of  size  E.  For  instance,  take  a 
tapered  line  E  tapered  to  size  G.  That  part  of  the 
line  which  is  of  size  E  supplies  weight  and  consequently 
good  carrying  power  and  distance ;  and  that  part  of  the 
line  which  is  approximately  size  G  supplies  lightness 
and  delicacy  at  the  end  of  the  cast.  Obviously  the 
taper  line  has  its  advantages. 

But  the  medal  has  its  reverse.  Good  taper  lines  are 
pretty  costly.  Also  much  use  of  the  line  generally  re- 
sults in  a  gradual  shortening  of  the  taper  due  to  acci- 
dental breakage  or  unavoidable  and  natural  deteriora- 
tion, and,  eventually,  the  angler  can  supply  from  his 
tackle  box  a  concrete  answer  to  the  question,  When 
is  a  taper  line  not  a  taper  line?     Obviously  the  grad- 


70     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

uated  line  has  its  disadvantages.  These  lines  are  usu- 
ally furnished  in  double-taper.  The  taper  is  generally 
about  1 8  feet  in  length.  The  lines  come  in  lengths  of 
30  and  40  yards.  Sizes  E  and  F,  to  fit  the  rod,  are 
right. 

Whether  the  line  shall  be  level  or  taper,  is,  in  a  way, 
a  matter  of  taste;  that  the  line  be  a  fine  one,  in  the 

sense  of  quality,  is  a  necessity.     There 
^hi'^^      are  a  great  many  cheap  and  worthless 

lines  on  the  market  although  they  are, 
presumably,  "  enameled,  waterproof,  braided  silk 
lines."  When  purchasing  a  fly-line  see  that  its  surface 
is  smooth,  hard  and  free  from  stickiness.  Bend  over 
two  inches  of  the  end  of  the  line  and  twist  the  strands 
together  hard.  If  the  enamel  cracks  or  gives  at  any 
point  a  white  spot  will  tell  you  that  some  other  line 
IS  preferable.  Extremely  high  polish  is  not  imperative ; 
in  fact,  a  certain  firm  of  tackle  dealers  advertises  the 
fact  that  Its  best  line  is  not  highly  polished  since,  they 
say,  a  too  smooth  line  slides  so  freely  through  the 
water  as  to  hamper  good  casting  —  which,  it  would 
seem,  is  getting  things  down  to  a  rather  fine  point. 

The  line  should  also  be  tested  from  time  to  time, 
as  to  its  strength,  during  the  fishing  season.  Experi- 
ments made  by  Mr.  Wells  and  others  show  that  a  trout 
pulls,  approximately,  its  own  weight.  The  locality 
where  you  fish  and  the  size  of  the  trout  you  are  liable 
to  take  will  determine  measurably  how  far  an  old  line 
may  be  trusted.    As  a  matter  of  fact,  before  a  line  has 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS  71 

become  so  old  as  to  be  the  object  of  suspicion  the 

enamel  will  have  worn  down  and  the  line  become  so 

limp  and  flexible  as  not  to  work  well  on  the  rod  — 

when  you  will  discard  it  on  general  principles.     This 

IS  in  the  case  of  a  line  originally  of  good  quality  and 

subsequently  well  cared  for.     As  above  stated,  a  line, 

according  to  size,  will  test  from  22  to  28  pounds  when 

new.     It  should  not  be  trusted  when  it  fails  to  pull 

half  its  original  test.     Sudden  strains  and  hard  pulls 

on   the   line   frequently  happen   from  various  causes 

when  fishing,  and  a  break  in  the  line  generally  means, 

if  nothing  else,  the  loss  of  leader  and  flies. 

Enameled  fly-lines  need  not  be  the  object  of  so  much 

solicitation  to  the  fly-caster  as  are  the  fine  un-water- 

proofed  casting  lines  to  the  bait-caster. 

But  the  enameled  line  should  not  be      ~^.^  ^^ 
IT  1         ^         Line. 

neglected  or  abused.  It  may  be  suffi- 
ciently dried  by  running  it  through  a  cloth  held  in  the 
hand,  and  this  will  also  tend  to  keep  it  straight  and 
free  from  tight  coils  caused  by  being  wound  upon  the 
reel,  as  a  result  of  which  the  line  will  work  better  in 
casting.  If  occasionally  dressed  with  deer  fat  the  line 
will  work  better  and  last  longer.  For  smoothing  and 
polishing  enameled  lines  tournament  casters  use  pow- 
dered graphite.  During  the  winter  the  line  should 
not  be  kept  tightly  coiled  on  the  reel. 

Good  quality  level  enameled  lines  cost  about  $i.7S 
for  25  yards  size  E.  The  cost  varies  slightly  with 
the  different  dealers  and  for  the  various  sizes.     An 


72     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

average  price  for  a  30-yard  double-tapered  line,  size  E, 
is  $2.50.  Very  fine  quality  double- 
tapered  lines  for  tournament  work  cost 
rather  more;  say,  $4.00  for  40  yards.  All  the  best 
dealers  carry  lines  of  excellent  quality  in  the  best 
grades,  all  about  equally  good.  A  very  excellent  fly- 
line  is  the  English  soft-enamel  line.  By  some  they  are 
considered  superior  to  the  American  lines.  So  far  as 
the  writer  knows,  only  one  American  firm,  located  in 
New  York,  regularly  supplies  these  lines.  They  are 
furnished  only  in  double-taper. 

If  your  fishing  trip   will   take  you   far   from   the 

tackle  shops  have  a  reserve  line  on  the  reserve  reel. 

It  is  a  good  deal  better  to  be  prepared 

Reserve      f^j.  tackle  losses  than  to  have  to  borrow 

from    a    friend  —  especially    when,    as 

most  often  happens,  the  friend  is  not  in  a  position  to 

lend. 

Leaders. 

It  IS  impossible  to  place  too  much  emphasis  upon 
the  quality  and  suitability  of  the  leader  or,  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  the  casting-line.  Since  the  leader 
IS  a  link  in  the  chain  between  the  angler  and  a  hooked 
fish,  and  since  a  chain  is  only  as  strong  as  its  weakest 
link.  It  follows  that  the  strength  of  the  leader  must 
be  unquestionable.  And  in  the  matter  of  selection  the 
leader  must  be  suited  to  the  water  and  the  fish  where 
the  fishing  is  to  be  done.     So  the  angler  should  be 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS         73 

able  to  judge  accurately  the  quality  of  leaders,  and 
also  know  about  the  different  sizes  in  which  they  are 
made  for  various  conditions.  Briefly,  the  material  from 
which  leaders,  and  the  snells  of  flies  and  hooks,  are 
made,  is  the  silk  of  the  Spanish  or  Italian  silkworm, 
the  silk  or  "  gut "  being  drawn  from  the  worm  to  the 
desired  length  (from  10  to  15  inches,  the  short  lengths 
being  afterward  knotted  together  to  form  the  com- 
plete leader)  and  subsequently  sorted  and  made  into 
bunches  or  "  hanks  "  according  to  caliber  and  quality. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  the  silk  is  drawn  out  to  a  greater 
length  than  the  final  length  of  the  strand,  for  there 
is  considerable  waste  at  each  end  of  the  strand  on 
account  of  the  manner  in  which  the  gut  is  cured  and 
made  into  hanks. 

Good  quality  gut  is  round,  hard  and  smooth.    Cheap 
gut  is  fat  in  places  and  frays  easily.     When  testing  a 
leader  look  over  its  length  very  carefully 
for  flat  places.     Leaders  which  are  very     How  to 
faulty  in  this  respect  can  sometimes  be     ^       h' 
discarded  at  sight,  but  often  the  flatness 
can  only  be  detected  when  the  gut  is  rolled  between 
the  fingers.     Flatness  spells  a  degree  of  weakness  that 
is  by  no  means  to  be  trusted.     For  hardness  test  the 
leader  between  the  teeth.     Certain  writers  about  fish- 
ing tackle,  in  referring  to  silkworm  gut,  have  used  the 
terms  "  clear  "  and  "  transparent,"  and  recommended 
that  the  angler  use  only  leaders  having  this  charac- 
teristic.   As  a  matter  of  fact,  almost  all  gut  on  the 


74     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

market  undergoes  a  bleaching  process  which  turns  it 
white  and  practically  opaque. 

Before   using   the   leader   it   should   be   tested    for 

strength,  and  in  this  connection  it  should  be  said  that 

care  must  be  taken  not  to  over-test  it 

Teslmg     ^g  ^j^jg  results   in   weakening   it.     For 
the  Leader.  ^ ,  .         ,     ,       ,      ^        , 

average  hshmg  a  leader  that  tests  three 

and  a  half  to  four  pounds  is  amply  strong.  Attach  one 
end  of  the  leader  to  a  hook  in  the  wall  and  use  your 
balances.  Pull  slowly  and  steadily  until  the  leader 
snaps  —  it  happens  pretty  often  —  or  shows  the  neces- 
sary strength. 

Some  dealers  list  silkworm  gut,  beginning  with  the 
thinnest  ordinarily  sold,  as  follows :  Regular,  Padrona 
Second,  Padrona  First,  Marana,  and 
Sizes  Marana  Double  Thick.  Others  have 
discarded  this  nomenclature  and  list  in 
this  way:  Light  Trout,  Heavy  Trout,  Heavy  Bass, 
Extra  Heavy  Bass,  Salmon,  and  Heavy  Salmon.  For 
average  fishing,  the  locality  and  conditions  making 
some  difference,  the  first  two  sizes  in  each  list  are  the 
most  used.  Leaders  may  be  had  three,  six  and  nine 
feet  in  length.  A  nine-foot  leader  is  too  long  to  use  on 
a  trout  fly-rod  since  there  is  danger  of  reeling  the  knot 
between  line  and  leader  through  the  tip-guide,  when 
the  line  is  at  once  locked  fast.  A  six-foot  leader  is 
about  right  and  this  may  be  made  by  looping  together 
two  leaders  of  three  feet,  preferably  of  different  caliber, 
so  as  to  form  a  tapered  leader. 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS  75 

Gut  smaller  in  caliber  than  Regular  can  be  obtained 
from  most  dealers  and  is  known  as  Refina  and  Fina, 
Refina  being  the  thinnest.  "  Drawn  ''  gut  is  the  thin- 
nest obtainable  and  is  the  result  of  stripping  the  natural 
gut  through  diamonds  or  steel  plates  thus  reducing 
the  caliber  and  paring  away  all  inequalities.  Drawn 
gut  is  mostly  used  by  English  dry-fly  fishers  and,  at 
times,  is  useful  to  the  American  angler  when  fishing 
extremely  clear  streams  where  the  trout  are  highly 
educated.  Much  annoyance  may  be  avoided  by  always 
having  the  leader  and  fly-snells  of  about  the  same  size 
gut;  otherwise  the  cast  will  continually  become  tan- 
gled; for  if,  for  instance,  you  are  using  a  fairly  thick 
leader  and  dropper-flies  tied  on  fine  gut,  the  fine  snells 
will  not  stand  away  from  the  leader  but  wrap  them- 
selves around  it  persistently. 

As  a  rule  leaders  may  be  had  in  three  colors :  natural 
(white),  mist  color  and  tea  color.  As  a  bone  of  con- 
tention among  anglers  the  question  of 
the  proper  color  for  leaders  is  un- 
equalled. When  all  is  said  the  size  of  the  leader,  fine 
leaders  for  clear  streams  and  shy  trout,  is  far  more 
important.  Leaders  of  natural  color  are  as  good  as 
any.  In  this  sort  of  thing  it  is  necessary  to  be  con- 
sistent, and  if  you  use  a  mist  color  leader  your  flies 
should  be  tied  on  mist  color  snells.  Almost  without 
exception  flies  are  tied  on  natural  gut.  I  know  one 
tackle  maker,  however,  who  is  certainly  consistent. 
Wide  experience  has  taught  him,  at  least,  that  trout 


76     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

can  only  be  taken  upon  flies  with  tea  color  snells  and 
Sneck  hooks,  used  on  tea  color  leaders.  Love  or  money 
cannot  obtain  from  him  a  natural  gut  leader,  a  fly  tied 
on  a  natural  gut  snell,  or  a  Sproat  hook.  And  there 
you  are. 

Making  rods  and  tying  flies  are  attempted  by  only 

a  few  anglers,  comparatively  speaking,  and  success  in 

these  things  only  crowns  the  efforts  of 

How  to     those  who  have  considerable  mechanical 
Tie  a 

Leader  ^^^^^'  "^^^  tyirig  a  leader  is  another 
thing.  It  is  so  simple  and,  moreover, 
saves  so  much  expense  and  has  so  many  advantages 
in  other  ways,  that  every  angler  not  only  can,  but  by 
all  means  should,  tie  his  own  leaders.  A  very  great 
advantage  of  the  homemade  leader  is  that  you  can  tie 
in  the  dropper  loops  just  where  you  want  them.  And 
you  should  know  how  to  tie  a  leader,  anyway,  be- 
cause then  you  can  make  over  a  "  tailor  made  "  leader 
to  suit  yourself;  or,  if  you  accidentally  break  a  leader 
when  fishing,  or  break  one  in  testing  it,  you  can  make 
the  necessary  repairs. 

Briefly  —  and  the  following  is  incorporated  here 
because  I  know  of  no  place  where  the  story  is  told 
briefly  —  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  get  a  hank  of  gut 
from  the  dealer.  They  come  generally  lOO  strands  to 
the  hank,  and,  as  above  stated,  from  lo  to  15  inches  in 
length.  The  12-inch  is  a  good  length.  Select  six  or 
seven  strands  according  to  the  length  of  leader  de- 
sired,—  a  five-foot  leader  will  do  for  two  flies,  six  feet 


REELS,  LINES  AND  LEADERS         77 

for  three, —  cut  away  the  waste  at  each  end  of  the 
strands  and  soak  them  for  an  hour  or  so  in  tepid 
water.  The  method  of  connecting  the  single  strands 
is  as  follows:  When  the  strands  have  been  rendered 
sufficiently  pliable  by  soaking,  tie  a  half-hitch,  loosely, 
at  the  end  of  a  strand,  put  the  end  of  another  strand 
through  the  loop  in  first,  and  then,  again  loosely,  tie 
a  half-hitch  around  the  first  strand.  Then,  separately, 
draw  each  knot  tight  and,  finally,  pull  the  two  knots 
together  good  and  hard.  This  is  known  as  the  single 
water  knot.  To  make  the  loops  at  each  end  of  the 
leader,  bend  over  for  about  two  inches  the  end  of  the 
gut  so  that  it  lies  along  the  rest  of  the  strand  and  tie 
a  half-hitch,  an  ordinary  knot. 

The  end  loops  as  well  as  the  dropper  loops  should 
be  made  as  you  go  along  and  before  the  gut  dries. 
The  dropper  loops  are  best  made  at  the  end  of  the 
strand,  the  junction  of  two  strands.  For  the  dropper 
loop  tie  loosely,  without  pulling  tight,  at  the  end  6f 
a  strand,  an  ordinary  half-hitch  as  for  an  end  loop; 
put  the  end  of  the  next  strand  through  the  small  knot- 
loop  (the  small  knot  at  base  of  half-hitch  loop)  in 
the  first,  and  then  proceed  as  when  tying  two  strands 
together.  It  sounds  very  much  harder  than  it  really 
is.  The  leader  should  be  tested,  and  suspended  with  a 
small  weight  to  straighten  it. 

Leaders  must  always  be  well  soaked  before  using 
them  for  fishing.  The  kit  must  contain  a  leader  box, 
preferably  of  nickel,   as  the  aluminum   ones  are  too 


78     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

fragile.     The  leader  box  will  have  two  felt  pads  and 

when  these  are  wet  and  the  leaders  put 

Use  and     between  them  the  gut  will  become  plia- 

Care  of 

Leaders       ^^^  ^^^  without  tight  coils  in  a  short 

time.  It  is  safe  to  attach  the  flies  to 
the  leader  when  the  fly-snells  and  leader  are  dry, 
if  you  do  not  draw  the  loops  tight.  Have  plenty 
of  leaders  or,  better,  a  hank  of  gut,  when  starting  on 
a  long  trip.  At  the  very  least  three  leaders  should 
be  carried  on  a  one-day  trip.  Six-foot  leaders  of  good 
quality  cost  about  $3.00  a  dozen  in  trout  sizes.  Hanks 
of  gut,  good  quality,  for  trout  sizes,  are  75c  to  $1.50. 


(CHAPTER  VI 

i  FLIES  THAT  TROUT  LIKE 

THE  true  theory  of  the  artificial  fly  is  that  the 
fly  should  imitate  as  closely  as  possible  the 
natural  insect  life  of  that  particular  stream 
the  angler  may  be  whipping  at  the  particular  time  he  is 
fishing  that  stream.  It  follows  that  the  fly-fisher 
should  observe  as  carefully  as  may  be  such  natural  flies 
as  are  to  be  found  about  and  over  the  water  and,  in 
the  choice  of  his  cast,  see  that  the  artificials  bear  the 
closest  attainable  resemblance  to  the  natural  insect  life 
observed.  Some  anglers,  not  many,  who  are  able  to 
tie  their  own  flies  skilfully,  make  a  practice  of  first 
noting  carefully  the  insects  upon  the  stream  and  then, 
at  the  stream-side,  dress  the  imitation  before  beginning 
to  fish.  Naturally,  at  times,  those  who  follow  this 
plan  get  a  good  many  trout,  far  more  than  the  angler 
who  simply  depends  upon  his  stock  of  tailor-made  flies. 
But  the  American  angler  who  follows  the  above  plan 
is  a  very  rare  bird,  however  numerous  they  may  be  in 
Merry  England. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  it  is  only  in  very  much  over- 
fished streams  that  exact  imitation  of  nature  assumes 
79 


8o     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

great  importance.  In  wild  waters  any  of  the  well- 
known  stock-fly  patterns  are  sure  to  be  successful 
when  the  trout  are  rising;  and,  when  the  trout  are 
not  rising,  quite  often,  even  generally,  you  can  imitate 
nature  until  you  are  black  in  the  face  and  still  have  to 
eat  bacon.  Exact  imitation  of  nature  in  trout  fly- 
fishing is  best  exemplified  by  the  methods  and  flies  of 
the  British  dry-fly  fisherman.  This  is  a  subject  rather 
too  advanced  to  enter  upon  herein  further  than  a  few 
notes  under  the  later  subject  of  dry  flies  which  will  be 
taken  up  farther  on  in  this  chapter,  after  some  of  the 
general  principles  have  been  laid  down. 

Before  discussing  the  various  forms  of  flies,  hackles, 

palmers,   reversed  wing,  matched    wing,  floating  dry 

flies,  etc.,  the  hooks  upon  which  they  are 

bimp  e       dressed,  how  they  are  tied,  and  other 
Rules  for  '  ,       . ,      , 

Flies.        matters  connected   with   the   trout   fly, 

there  are  a  few  rules,  quite  universally 
applicable  and  usually  true,  which  should  be  stated. 
If  you  know  these  general  trouting  truths  it  will  help 
much  in  the  selection  of  flies.  First,  then,  do  not  for- 
get when  filling  the  fly  book,  that  on  bright,  clear  days 
very  small  flies  of  subdued  colors  are  most  successful ; 
and,  secondly,  that  on  dark  days  larger  flies  of  brighter 
coloration  are  the  best.  Flies  tied  upon  No.  8  hooks 
may  with  safety  be  called  normal.  As  a  stock  size 
trout  fly,  a  good  "  meat  "  fly  on  almost  all  waters,  the 
No.  8  is  practically  universal.  Have  the  greater  part 
of  your  flies  of  this  size  with  a  few  others  of  the  best 


FLIES  THAT  TROUT  LIKE  8i 

patterns  in  larger  and  smaller  sizes  for  unusual  condi- 
tions. Do  not  fill  the  book  with  gaudy  flies,  reds, 
blues,  and  the  like  —  they  look  pretty  but  they  are  not 
practical.  Flies  of  subdued  colors,  grays,  browns,  etc., 
are  very  much  the  best;  in  fact,  it  may  be  truly  said 
that,  save  in  the  wildest  of  wild  waters,  where  the  trout 
are  totally  uneducated,  gaudy  flies  are  of  no  use  what- 
ever. 

As  a  change  from  the  flies  of  more  modest  coloration 
the  fly-book  should  contain  a  number  of  flies  of  brighter 
tints,  but  it  is  not  necessary  that  these  be  of  startling 
colors.  There  are  several  good  flies  which,  while  they 
are  very  attractive  and  noticeable  on  the  water,  are 
dressed  in  very  good  taste  —  not  "  loud."  A  scarlet 
ibis,  for  instance,  a  fly  with  bright  red  wings  and 
hackle,  with  body  gilt-wound  and  equally  anarchistic, 
is  guaranteed  to  scare  a  trout  of  such  a  stream  as  the 
Beaverkill,  in  New  York,  or  of  the  trout  streams  of  the 
Berkshires,  into  fits.  Diversity  in  the  contents  of  the 
fly-book  is  also  desirable  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
various  water  conditions.  When  the  stream  is  low 
and  clear  the  smallest  flies  are  necessary  for  success; 
and  when  the  stream  is  slightly  flooded  and  discolored 
rather  large  flies  must  be  used. 

When  buying  flies  select  only  the  best  grades.     They 

cost  from  $i.oo  to  $1.50  a  dozen  for 

^^^r^°°^   the  best  grade  flies  of  the  best  fly-tiers; 

and  the  flies  of  this  sort  will  outwear 

the  cheaper  ones  a  dozen  times.     By  all  means  steer 


82      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

clear  of  the  cheap  trout  fly.  They  are  commercially 
tied  by  the  million  by  people  who  do  not  in  the  least 
know  what  they  are  to  be  used  for.  In  consequence 
they  disintegrate  with  facility  and,  as  long  as  they  hold 
together,  are  mere  useless  bunches  of  feathers  —  not 
at  all  resembling  either  in  color  or  form  the  flies  tied 
by  men  who  have  "  been  there."  A  fly  of  good  grade 
will  sometimes  last  for  weeks  of  pretty  steady  fishing, 
and  have  a  good  many  trout  to  its  credit,  without  be- 
ing put  out  of  commission.  The  cheap  fly  is  a  snare 
and  a  delusion  to  the  angler  only. 

In  the  final  analysis  the  question  of  what  style  of 
hook  is  the  most  efficient  is  of  great  importance.  In 
fact,  one  could  almost  say  that  the  choice 
of  the  hook  on  which  the  fly  is  dressed 
is  the  great  question  of  tackle  selection.  For  no  mat- 
ter how  wisely  and  well  the  angler  discriminates  in 
regard  to  rod,  reel  and  line,  after  all  it  is  the  hook 
which  by  its  efficiency  or  the  lack  thereof  produces  re- 
sults or  the  contrary.  But,  again  in  the  final  analysis, 
we  find  experienced  anglers  using  with  success  a  good 
many  different  sorts  of  hooks.  It  would  seem  then 
that,  with  a  few  exceptions,  the  most  popular  hooks 
are  all  about  equally  good,  and  that  the  angler  who 
fails  to  hook  his  fish  should  not  "  blame  the  gun." 
Briefly,  and  theoretically,  the  most  efficient  hook  is  one 
having  a  "  direct  draught "  so  that  the  point  is  im- 
mediately sent  home  in  the  direction  of  the  force  ap- 
plied.    However,  we  will  not  here  discuss  angles  of 


FLIES  THAT  TROUT  LIKE  83 

draught.  If  the  flies  you  buy  are  tied  upon  either 
Sproat,  O'Shaugnessy,  or  Sneck  hooks,  you  should  have 
no  trouble  with  them.  I  have  mentioned  the  Sneck 
hook,  not  because  I  like  or  use  it  myself,  but  because 
in  the  opinion  of  many  experienced  fly-fishermen  it  Is 
a  good  hook.  Another  good  hook  is  the  Pennell. 
Personally  I  always  use  the  Sproat  or  O'Shaugnessy 
w^hen  I  can  find  the  sort  of  fly  I  want  tied  upon  either 
of  them.  But  a  good  many  dealers  use  only  the  Sneck 
hooks  for  the  smaller  size  flies,  smaller  than  No.  8, 
and  for  the  "  midges."  There  is  no  need  to  advise 
only  hooks  of  good  grade.  If  you  buy  decent  flies  the 
hooks  are  pretty  sure  to  be  all  right. 

In  regard  to  the  ways  in  which  flies  are  made,  their 
mechanical  construction  and  form,  there  are  several 
well-known  kinds.    These  are :  Hackles, 
palmers,    reversed-wing    flies,    matched-        ^  i,,. 

•  n.  un  .         ,,    n.  in.         of    FllCS. 

Wing  flies,  fluttering  flies,  and  float- 
ing dry  flies.  The  hackles  and  palmers  are  of  quite 
similar  construction  and  equally  efficient.  No  wings 
are  used  in  making  these  flies  and  the  fly  consists  en- 
tirely of  the  "  hackle  "  and  body  save  rarely  when  a 
tail  is  tied  in.  The  brown  hackle  is  frequently  made 
with  a  tail  of  red  wool.  The  distinction  between  the 
hackle  and  the  palmer  is,  that  in  the  case  of  the  hackle 
fly  the  hackle  is  tied  at  the  head  of  the  fly  only,  while 
in  the  palmers  it  is  tied  the  entire  length  of  the  body. 
The  angler  when  buying  flies  by  mail  should  remem- 
ber that  the  hackles  and  palmers  are  made  with  dif- 


84     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

ferently  colored  bodies  to  the  same  color  hackle.  The 
brown  palmer,  for  instance,  is  sometimes  tied  with  a 
red  body  (in  which  case  it  is  properly  called  the  "  sol- 
dier palmer  ")  and  also  is  dressed  with  a  body  of  pea- 
cock harl,  a  green  body.  Both  the  brown  and  gray 
hackles  and  palmers  are  very  good  all-season  flies. 

The  various  parts  of  the  winged  fly  are  the  head, 

hackle,  body  and  tail,  the  wings  and  the  tag.     Not 

every  fly  has  all  of  these  parts.     The 

the  Flv  ^"^^  ^^^^  ^^^"^  ^°^^  ^^  ^^^^  explanation 
are  the  tag  and  the  tail.  The  tag  is 
simply  a  few  windings  of  gilt  or  some  other  material 
appearing  at  the  lower  end  of  the  body,  the  material 
chosen  being  such  as  will  contrast  with  the  body  ma- 
terial. The  very  best  example  of  the  tag  is  seen  in 
the  fly  known  as  the  Reuben  Wood  which  has  a  white 
body  with  a  more  than  usually  —  when  properly  tied 
—  broad  and  prominent  red  tag.  The  tail  is  tied  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  body,  extending  toward  the  bend 
of  the  hook,  and  consists  usually  of  a  few  feather 
strands.  An  example  of  this  may  be  seen  in  the  Grizzly 
King,  this  fly  having  a  red  tail.  In  the  winged  fly  the 
hackle  is  intended  to  represent  the  legs  of  the  natural 
insect.  The  hackle  flies  are  representations  of  larval 
forms  such  as  the  caterpillar. 

In  making  the  reversed-wing  fly  the 
How  Flies  fl     jgj.  gj.g^  j^j^j      j^        .^     f^  ^ 

are  Tied.     ,     ,     .     .        ,    ,  . 

the  beginning  of  the  bend  in  the  hook 

with  the  point  of  the  feather  in  the  direction  of  the 


Reversed  Wing   Flies 


Md^tched  Wing  Plies 

10  12  14 


(Body  Covemd) 


(Body  B«!»re") 


^      ^      1^ 

OakUxeWing  .,^  /  n     ,}  Erect  Wing 

Fly  Flutt«fing-Tly  fly 


Variety  of  Form  in  Trout  Flies 
Two -thirds  natural  size 


FLIES  THAT  TROUT  LIKE  85 

eye  or  snell  of  the  hook.  When  the  wing  has  been 
bound  to  the  hook  shank  up  to  the  end  of  the  shank  it  is 
bent  over,  reversed,  so  as  to  point  downward  along  the 
shank,  and  then  bound  with  several  windings  which 
not  only  make  the  fastening  very  firm  but  form  the 
head  of  the  fly.  The  majority  of  good  quality  Amer- 
ican flies  are  made  in  this  way.  Considerable  insight 
into  the  fly-tier's  methods  can  be  had  by  carefully  dis- 
secting a  fly.  Matched-wing  flies  have  two  wings  and 
are  usually  tied  upon  the  smaller  sized  hooks,  10  to 
14.  Fluttering  flies  I  have  never  used  and  for  that 
reason  do  not  care  to  discuss.  They  are  made  with  the 
head  at  the  bend  of  the  hook  and  the  wings  pointing 
up  the  shank  toward  the  eye  of  the  hook  so  that, 
when  drawn  through  the  water,  they  will,  presumably, 
owing  to  the  resistance,  better  imitate  the  struggles  of 
a  shipwrecked  insect. 

Since  we  are  here  writing  principally  for  the  begin- 
ner it  does  not  seem  advisable  to  discuss  at  any  length 
the  subject  of  dry  flies ;  for  dry-fly  fishing 
is  eminently  a  method  which  only  the  ^ 
advanced  student  in  the  school  of  fly-casting  should  at- 
tempt. Also  dry-fly  fishing  is  properly  at  home  only 
in  England,  where  it  is  extensively  practiced  on  clear, 
slow-moving  streams,  for  highly  educated  brown  trout, 
the  fish  we  call  also  the  German  trout.  Rather  re- 
cently it  has  been  taken  up  to  some  extent  by  a  few 
American  anglers  on  streams  more  or  less  suited  to 
this  style  of  fishing;  but,  by  and  large,  dry-fly  fishing 


86      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

IS  not  adapted  to  American  conditions.  However,  the 
angler,  merely  as  a  matter  of  angling  knowledge, 
should  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  methods  fol- 
lowed by  the  dry-fly  fishermen,  and  should  know  some- 
thing about  the  subject  of  dry  flies. 

Very  little  has  been  written  in  this  country  about 
the  "  how "  of  dry-fly  fishing,  and  for  this  reason, 
and  for  the  further  one  that  all  the  large  tackle  deal- 
ers now  carry  a  stock  of  dry  flies  and  the  salesman  will 
doubtless  try  to  sell  you  some,  it  may  be  well  to  de- 
scribe as  briefly  as  possible,  and  with  no  pretense  of 
treating  the  subject  expertly,  what  the  dry  fly  is  and 
how  it  should  be  fished.  The  dry  fly  is  a  floating  fly 
and  is  to  be  fished  upon  the  surface  of  the  water, 
wherein  it  differs  from  the  ordinary  flies,  which  are 
without  exception  "  wet "  flies,  and  to  be  fished  more 
or  less  submerged. 

The  dry-fly  purist  casts  only  to  a  rising  trout;  he 
does  not  fish  all  the  water,  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  wet-fly  fisher,  but  waits  until  he  sees  the  circle 
of  ripples  made  by  a  rising  and  feeding  fish,  and  then 
casts  to  that  particular  —  very  particular,  indeed  — 
trout.  He  works  up-stream,  casting  slightly  above  the 
rise,  and  floating  the  fly  down  over  the  fish.  Between 
casts  two  or  three  "  false  "  casts  are  made  without  al- 
lowing the  fly  —  only  one  fly  is  used  —  to  strike  the 
water,  in  order  to  dry  the  fly.  Paraffine  oil  is  used 
on  the  fly  to  make  it  float  better  and  more  impervious 
to  the  action  of  the  water,  in  dry-fly  parlance,  to  pre- 


FLIES  THAT  TROUT  LIKE  87 

vent  the  fly  from  drowning.  The  flies  used  are  very 
small  and  in  most  cases  exact  imitations  of  the  preva- 
lent insect  life  of  the  stream.  When  expertly  prac- 
ticed the  method  is  a  very  deadly  one.  Some  dry-fly 
fishers  do  not  insist  on  waiting  for  a  rising  fish,  but 
fish  the  best  of  the  water  in  the  manner  of  the  wet-fly 
caster,  a  method  more  appealing  to  the  American  an- 
gler. Without  going  into  the  subject  further  it  may 
be  said  that  there  are  occasions  when,  if  you  have  a 
few  dry  flies  in  the  fly-book,  you  may  be  mighty  glad 
of  it.  A  list  of  approved  patterns,  selected  with 
American  streams  in  view,  is  given  below.  Dry  flies 
are  usually  tied  upon  eyed-hooks  without  snells. 

Most  of  the  tackle  dealers  now  supply  the  most 
popular    trout    flies    dressed    on    eyed-hooks,    that    is, 
without    snells.     This    style    of    fly    is 
constantly  increasing  in  use  among  ex-     Flies  on 
pert  anglers  for  many  good  reasons.     As       xj     u" 
a  general  thing  when  using  flies  whipped 
to  snells  the  first  part  to  wear  out  is  the  gut  at  the 
head  of  the  fly,  when  the  fly  itself,  no  matter  how 
well  preserved,  is  no  longer  of  any  use.     Flies  on  eyed- 
hooks  may  be  carried  in  greater  quantity  and  lesser 
space  than  the  ordinary  sort.     For  the  flies  on  snells, 
if  they  are  carried  in  any  quantity  —  and  they  usually 
must  be  — -  a  bulky  fly-book  is  necessary.     But  a  large 
number  of  eyed-flies  may  be  carried  on  clips  in  a  small 
metal  box.     The  custom  of  tying  flies  on  eyed-hooks 
is  not  a  new  thing  but  recently  their  use  has  grown 


88     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

more  universal.  English  dry  flies,  as  above  noted,  are 
dressed  in  this  way.  Personally  I  do  not  use  the  eyed- 
flies  for  trout  because  I  am  too  used  to  the  other  kind 
and  do  not  care  to  change;  and,  doubtless,  many  an- 
glers feel  the  same  way  about  it.  It  seems  to  me,  too, 
that  the  proper  field  for  the  eyed-hook  fly  is  where 
only  one  fly  is  used.  Where  more  than  one  fly  is 
used,  which  is  almost  always  the  case  except  in  waters 
so  well  stocked  that  mere  trout  catching  ceases  to  be  an 
object,  it  is  necessary  for  the  leader  to  have  two  or 
three  dropper  snells  tied  in  or  the  flies  must  be  pre- 
viously snelled  before  attaching  them.  (Why  do  not 
the  tackle  dealers,  since  the  wearing  qualities  of  the 
eyed-hook  fly  and  its  other  good  points  are  beyond 
need  of  proof,  furnish  regularly  their  trout  flies  with 
snells  tied-in  instead  of  whipped-on?  Is  it  barely 
possible  that  the  reason  is  because,  then,  they  would 
not  sell  so  many  flies?)  The  angler  who  knows  how 
to  tie  leaders  and  snells  should  have  no  trouble  in 
handling  the  eyed-flies.  Also,  it  is  possible  to  buy  at 
the  tackle  shops  looped  snells  for  use  with  eyed  flies. 

To  use  eyed  flies  it  is  necessary  to  know  how  to 
attach  them  to  the  leader  end  or  snell. 

How  to      The   method   most   in   use   for   turned 

Attach       down  eyed  hooks  is  known  as  the  "  jam 
Eyed-fly  .  .  . 

to  Leader    ^^ot."     It  is  as  simple  as  efficient.     To 

attach  a  fly  by  this  method,  pass  the  end 

of  the  leader  or  snell  through  the  eye  of  the  fly  to- 


FLIES  THAT  TROUT  LIKE  89 

ward  the  bend  in  the  hook,  bend  back  this  end  along 
the  main  strand  of  the  snell  and  tie  a  half-hitch  around 
the  main  strand  without  drawing  tight;  slip  the  half- 
hitch  loop  along  and  down  the  snell  and  just  over  the 
eye  of  the  hook,  and  then  pull  tight.  Finally  cut  off 
the  gut  end  as  close  as  may  be  consistent  with  safety. 

It  is  said  that  there  are  some  two  hundred  known 
trout  flies.  Perhaps  there  are.  The  practical  angler 
does  not  at  the  utmost  use  more  than 
two  dozen  kinds,  but  is  careful  to  have  pi,, 
his  favorite  flies  in  good  numbers  as  re- 
gards size.  Do  not  practice  economy  in  buying  flies; 
It  will  surprise  you  how  fast  they  will  disappear  — 
and  some  time  you  will  find  yourself  on  the  stream 
without  the  fly  which  you  are  morally  certain  would 
make  a  killing.  Have  only  a  few  different  flies,  of 
the  best  patterns,  and  have  these  in  good  quantity 
and  in  at  least  three  sizes  —  rather  large,  medium  and 
small.  As  above  stated,  the  No.  8  is  the  most  gen- 
erally useful  size.  No.  10  is  usually  small  enough; 
and  No.  6  usually  large  enough.  It  is  a  good  plan  to 
have  a  few  "  midges,"  flies  as  small  as  14  and  16. 
The  opinions  of  anglers  as  to  the  most  effective  flies 
are  diverse  and  many  times  conflicting.  There  are, 
however,  a  number  of  flies  which  have  received  almost 
unanimous  approval,  and  most  of  these  are  noted  be- 
low. The  list  of  flies  given  here  is  founded  upon 
the  belief  that  flies  of  subdued  coloration  are  by  far 


po     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 


the  best,  and  also  upon  the  fact  that  the  writer  has 
used  all  of  them,  at  different  times.  In  different  waters, 
with  rather  better  than  indifferent  success: 


Be  aver  kill 
Coachman 
Cowdung 
Montreal 
Shoemaker 
Black  Gnat 
Brown  Hackle 
Gray  Hackle 
Brown  Palmer 


Gray  Palmer 

March  Brown 

Stone  Fly 

Queen  of  the  Water 

Hare's  Ear 

Gray  Drake 

Governor 

Cahill 

Willow. 


Flies  of  brighter  coloration,  some  of  which  should 
be  in  the  fly-book,  are: 

Grizzly  King  Royal  Coachman 

Reuben  Wood  White  Miller 

Professor  Silver  Doctor. 

For  Maine  and  Canada,  add:  Parmachene  Belle; 
Scarlet  Ibis. 

The  following  dry  flies  are  well-known  and  favorite 
patterns : 

March  Brown  Black  Gnat 

BeaverklU  White  Miller 

Queen  of  the  Waters    Cahill. 

Also  the  May  flies  which  arc  tied  on  larger-sized 
hooks. 


FLIES  THAT  TROUT  LIKE  91 

Flies  Italicized  above  are  the  very  best  in  almost 
all  waters,  and  you  will  notice  that  there  are  just  one 
dozen  of  them.  To  even  further  reduce  the  number, 
I  will  say  that,  personally,  I  would  have  no  objections 
whatever  to  being  turned  loose  on  a  trout  stream  with 
only  the  following  six  flies:  Coachman,  Cowdung, 
Cahill,  Beaverkill,  Grizzly  King,  Queen  of  the  Waters. 
In  the  writer's  opinion,  one  in  which  he  is  by  no 
means  alone,  the  Coachman  is  the  very  best  all-round 
trout  fly  —  a  fly  good  under  all  conditions  of  wind, 
weather  and  water,  at  any  time  of  day,  at  any  time 
during  the  season,  and  on  any  stream.  It  is  not  meant 
to  be  understood  that  on  occasions  other  flies  will  not 
be  more  successful;  merely  that  the  Coachman  is  a 
very  consistently  resultful  fly,  a  good,  steady  performer. 
Used  as  end-fly,  it  helps  you  to  keep  track  of  your  cast 
in  broken  water,  the  white  wing  being  easily  seen; 
and  this  is  of  no  little  importance. 

When  buying  flies  by  mail,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  have 
sample  flies  of  the  various  sizes  sent  you  by  the  dealer 
you  intend  to  buy  from.     The  reason 
for  this  is  that  no  two  dealers  sell  ex-      ^^^^^ 
actly  the  same  size  fly  on  the  same  hook 
number.     Sometimes  this  is  due  to  the  difference  in 
the  hooks  used,  and  sometimes  to  the  manner  in  which 
the  fly  is  dressed.     You  can  never  tell.     A  No.  8  fly 
sold  by  Jones  will  be  the  size  of  a  No.   10  sold  by 
Smith,    and   occasionally  the  variation   will   be   even 
more.     Send  for  samples.     If  you  possibly  can,   get 


92     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

flies   tied    lightly  —  not    bunchy  —  with    light,    small 
bodies  and  not  too  much  winging. 

The  thing  to  remember  when  selecting  a  fly-book 
for  stream  use  is  that  sooner  or  later,  probably  sooner, 

it  is  sure  to   get  thoroughly  wet,  not 
J"^^  ^^^^  once,  but  several  times.     It  follows 

that  only  a  well-made  book,  something 
a  little  better  than  one  made  of  imitation  leather  and 
glue,  will  stand  the  racket.  Its  capacity  should  be 
at  least  four  dozen  flies.  A  very  good  book,  strong 
and  well-made,  is  one  furnished  with  celluloid  leaves, 
transparent  pockets,  and  with  end-clips  and  spiral 
spring  center-bar  to  hold  the  flies.  Such  a  book  will 
cost  about  $3.50. 

For  carrying  eyed-flies  metal  boxes  are  best  used. 
Some  of  the  boxes  are  made  with  metal  clips  to  hold 
the  flies,  and  others  are  lined  with  cork.  A  good  lit- 
tle box  (just  for  an  experiment  to  see  how  you  like 
eyed-flies)  holding  fifty  flies  on  clips,  costs  75  cents. 
Better  ones  range  up  to  $2.50  or  $3.00. 

Small  cedar  boxes  may  be  had  for  keeping  flies  moth- 
proof during  the  close  season.  Do  not  forget  that 
artificial  flies  at  one-fifty  the  dozen  form  a  staple  ar- 
ticle of  diet  for  moths.  At  the  end  of  the  season  take 
out  all  the  flies  from  the  fly-book  and  put  them  either 
in  a  cedar  box  such  as  mentioned  or  in  an  air-tight 
glass  jar  —  and  even  then  it  is  better  to  look  them 
Qver  once  in  a  while, 


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O 


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fl     hJD 


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pq 


CHAPTER  VII 
CLOTHES  AND  OTHER  ACCESSORIES 

IN  addition  to  the  basic  fly-fishing  necessities  such 
as  the  rod,  reel  and  line,  there  are  several  articles 
of  tackle,  some  of  which  properly  form  a  part  of 
every  fishing  kit,  and  others  v^hich  are  more  or  less 
optional.  The  reader  should  not  conclude  that  every- 
thing mentioned  in  this  chapter  is  a  vital  necessity 
without  which  it  is  impossible  to  catch  trout.  On  the 
contrary  it  is  by  far  the  best  plan  to  keep  the  outfit 
down  to  essentials.  Just  what  these  essentials  are  is 
a  personal  matter;  and  whether  you  should  indulge  to 
any  great  extent  in  these  tackle  accessories  is,  in  a 
measure,  a  matter  of  the  pocketbook.  The  same  re- 
marks will  apply  to  selecting  outing  clothes  for  use  on 
the  river,  and  other  articles  of  general  equipment.  At 
any  rate  you  may  be  assured  that  the  "  genial  sales- 
man "  into  whose  clutches  you  will  fall  when  outfitting 
for  the  fishing  trip  is  a  person  utterly  without  con- 
science who  will  try  to  sell  you  a  pack-basket  of  truck 
that  you  have  absolutely  no  use  for.  Of  course  you 
will  buy  some  of  it  just  to  be  decent;  but  do  not  buy 
It  all.  Leave  some  of  the  things  to  experiment  with 
93 


94     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

next  time.  Each  trip  will  teach  you  a  little  more 
about  the  things  that  you  do  and  do  not  need. 

For  stream  fishing  a  creel  is  necessary;  also,  when 
fishing  from  a  canoe,  or  a  boat  not  provided  with  a 
fish-well,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  use  one  to 
irout  i^ggp  ^j^g  £g|^  -j^  gQQ^  shape.  A  nine- 
pound  basket  is  amply  large  for  the 
average  run  of  trout  fishing.  Wicker  creels  are  the 
best  and  these  may  be  had  in  several  styles.  A  leather- 
bound  creel  is  one  of  the  newest  productions  and  one 
calculated  to  last  a  long  time.  A  basket  stained  green 
or  brown  looks  well  —  not  that  that  matters  much  — 
and  will  last  longer  than  a  plain  one.  Be  sure,  at  any 
rate,  to  get  a  creel  with  leather  cover-hinges  and  "  pat- 
ent fastener.*'  With  the  ordinary  wicker  hinges  the 
cover  will  work  loose  in  a  short  time;  and  if  the  creel 
has  the  ordinary  wicker  staple  instead  of  a  leather 
and  metal  lock  you  must  use  a  whittled  plug  which  is 
continually  falling  out  and,  if  not  tied  to  the  basket, 
getting  lost.  Have  the  opening  in  the  basket-cover  at 
the  end  rather  than  in  the  middle.  When  fishing,  line 
the  bottom  of  the  creel  with  washed-out  moss  or  ferns. 
This  keeps  the  creel  cleaner  and  preserves  the  trout. 
A  nine-pound  creel  costs  $1.25. 

The  basket  sling  should  by  all  means  be  of  the  style 
that  leaves  the  shoulder  of  the  casting  arm  free.  This 
sling  IS  known  as  the  "  new  style."  The  strap  sup- 
porting the  basket  passes  over  the  J  eft  shoulder  and  the 


CLOTHES  AND  OTHER  ACCESSORIES      95 

creel  is  held  in  place  by  a  light  strap  around  the  body 
under  the  right  shoulder.  The  old  style  sling  hangs 
the  basket  from  the  right  shoulder  across  the  body,  thus 
bringing  all  the  weight  on  the  casting  arm.  Be  sure 
to  get  the  new  style  sling  when  you  buy  your  new 
creel.     Best,  $1.25. 

Canvas  creels  are  made  in  dififerent  styles  and  for 
regular  use  are  not  to  be  recommended.  They  keep 
the  trout  in  mussy  shape  and  are  otherwise  undesirable. 
They  are,  however,  for  occasional  use,  very  handy, 
since  they  fold  up  and  may  be  slipped  into  the  pocket 
of  the  hunting  coat  where  they  can  be  carried  easily 
and  with  little  inconvenience.     $1.00. 

While  a  landing  net  is  a  first-class  nuisance  on  a 

brushy     trout     stream,     continually     getting     fouled 

in  the  brush,  the  angler  who  wishes  to 

land  the  rather  infrequent  "whale"—     Landing 

Net. 
the  loss  of  which  always  overshadows 

the  basketing  of  numerous  small  fry  —  will  religiously 

carry  one.     It  is  by  far  the  best  plan  always  to  have 

a  net  along  no  matter  how  much  of  a  bother  it  is. 

"When  fishing  from  a  canoe  the  net  should  have  a 

handle  at  least  four  feet  in  length.     For  wading,  a 

short-handled  net  with  elastic  cord  to  sling  over  the 

shoulder  is  the  best  sort.     The  take-down  nets  with 

folding  metal  frame  are  the  least  troublesome  and  very 

satisfactory.     A  net  frame  and  handle  of  this  sort  for 

use  when  wading  will  cost  $1.00.     The  net  itself  must 


96     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

be  purchased  separately  and  costs  about  40  cents.  On 
a  long  trip  one  should  have  at  least  two  landing  nets  as 
they  are  easily  lost. 

The  angler  who  specializes  on  trout  fishing  does  not 

really  need  a  tackle  box  since  he  will  probably  use  a 

stock   fly-book,    a   stream   fly-book   and 

ac  e  ox.  jg^^j^gj.  j.gg][  cases,  and  the  articles  which 
need  a  general  receptacle  are  very  few.  But  almost  all 
trout  fishermen  condescend  to  take  a  few  bass  or  other 
fish  in  season,  and  the  accumulation  of  tackle  of 
various  sorts  soon  reaches  a  point  where  it  is  neces- 
sary to  have  "  a  place  for  everything  and  everything  in 
its  place  " —  otherwise,  chaos.  The  one  thing  to  be 
sure  about  is  to  get  a  box  that  will  pack  easily  in  a 
suit  case.  Most  of  the  boxes  are  made  short  and  rather 
high,  and  are,  consequently,  unhandy  to  carry  about. 
Avoid  too  many  trays.  A  tin  box  will  hold  just  as 
much  tackle  as  a  de  luxe  box  in  sole  leather.  The 
leather  boxes  are,  however,  very  much  the  stronger  and 
better;  and  for  a  canoe  trip  on  which  things  are  un- 
avoidably banged  around  a  good  deal  the  leather  box 
is  the  only  thing;  the  tin  boxes  are  soon  total  wrecks. 
Prices  range  for  the  japanned  tin  boxes  between  $1.00 
and  $5.00.  The  leather  boxes  are  rather  expensive: 
$7.00  to  $15.00.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  two  boxes, 
one  large  one  for  the  general  kit,  and  a  small  one  for 
the  pocket  —  an  especially  good  plan  for  the  bait-caster. 

When  you  get  the  "  big  one,"  if  you  would  do  the 
thing  scientifically  and  right,  it  is  necessary  —  although 


CLOTHES  AND  OTHER  ACCESSORIES      97 

It  may  spoil  a  good  fish  story  —  to  measure  and  weigh 
him.  For  ordinary  trout,  fishing  scales 
weighing  up  to  four  pounds,  by  ounces, 
are  right.  And  if  you  get  a  trout  that  is  too  big  for 
your  scales  —  you  may  if  the  fishing  is  done  where 
brown  trout  are  found  —  you  will  be  mighty  glad  of 
the  excuse  to  swagger  into  the  village  "  store  "  and 
request  the  proprietor  to  weigh  him ;  of  such,  to  a  trout 
fisherman,  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  For  measuring 
nothing  is  better  than  the  little  self-winding  tapes  in 
a  case  about  the  size  of  a  half-dollar.  A  good  pair  of 
scales  —  poor  ones  are  worth  less  than  nothing  —  will 
cost  about  $i.oo.  The  tapes  may  be  had  at  any  sta- 
tionery store  for  five  or  ten  cents. 

A  line  releaser  is  one  of  the  things  you  may  properly 
leave  to  experiment  with  at  some  future  time  —  and 
do  this  consistently.     If  you  decorate  a 
few  trees  with  leaders  and  flies  it  will         T^^^ 
teach  you  to  be  careful  about  the  back 
cast  and  accurate  with  the  forward  cast,  both  of  which 
things  are  very  desirable.      Description  of  the  mechanics^ 
of  this  contrivance  seems  hardly  necessary.     It  doesn't 
infallibly  release.     Price,  $i.oo. 

This  is  a  good  investment.     If  you  have  a  repair  kit 
—  to  say  nothing  of  its  use  on  the  stream  for  you  will 
probably  leave  it  at  home  —  you  will  un- 
doubtedly learn  eventually  how  to  re-       ^ 
wind,  re-varnish  and  otherwise  tinker  rods  and  other 
tackle,  which  is  not  only  practically  interesting  but 


98     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

cheats  the  professional  repairers.  Anglers  who  can  in- 
dite a  sonnet  to  a  "  speckled  beauty,"  or  write  a  "  Song 
of  the  Reel "  are  in  the  majority.  Those  who  can  re- 
wind a  fly-rod  are  vastly  in  the  minority.  A  very  am- 
bitious repair  kit,  the  best  available  —  with  one  excep- 
tion—  contains  pliers,  nippers,  screw-drivers,  tweez- 
ers, oil-can,  ferrule  cement,  file,  wrapping  silk,  and 
various  other  articles  too  numerous  to  mention,  and 
all  are  enclosed  in  a  handy  folding  leather  case  small 
enough  to  go  into  a  pocket.  But  it  costs  a  pretty  penny 
—  $7.50.  The  "  exception  "  costs  $12.00.  Other  less 
comprehensive  and  luxurious  kits,  sufficiently  adequate 
however,  cost  $1.50. 

A  small-sized  Adirondack  pack-basket  may  be  highly 

recommended  to  the  angler  —  especially  the  canoeing 

bait-caster  —  for  use  even  on  short  trips. 

Miscellane-  therein  may  be  carried  the  rod,  net, 
ous  Dume. 

tackle  box,   sweater  or  rainproof  coat, 

camera  and  other  duffle.  It  makes  one  package  of  many 
and  tends  to  avoid  having  tackle  and  other  stuff  scat- 
tered about  the  boat  or  canoe  where  it  is  underfoot  and 
liable  to  be  smashed  or  water-soaked. 

For  late  spring  and  summer  fishing  a  good  fly-dope 
is  a  necessary  part  of  the  outfit.  Frequently  it  spells 
the  difference  between  fly-fishing  and  mere  fly-fighting. 

A  folding  film  camera  is  best  adapted  to  the  angler's 
needs,  and  the  "  postal  "  size,  3j4x5^  is  a  very  good 
one.  Have  it  fitted  with  a  graduated  shutter  giving 
exposures  from  one  second  to  i -100  of  a  second,  not  the 


CLOTHES  AND  OTHER  ACCESSORIES      99 

cheaper  TIB  affair.  Usually  the  only  possible  sue 
cessful  exposure  is  a  very  slow  instantaneous  on  ac 
count  of  the  shade  of  the  woods.  Unless  you  are  out 
for  photographs  purely  er  primarily  do  not  attempt  to 
use  a  plate  camera. 

In  the  matter  of  shooting-irons  there  is  no  excuse  for 
taking  anything  larger  than  a  .22  of  some  sort  on  a 
fishing  trip.  "  Combination "  hunting  and  fishing 
trips  are  not  usually  very  successful  in  either  branch. 
If  the  fishing  is  to  be  done  from  a  canoe  a  .22  repeat- 
ing rifle  is  the  thing,  using  either  the  long-rifle,  the 
Automatic  or  the  .22-7.  But  if  wading  is  the  program 
a  single-shot  pistol  with  barrel  heavy  enough  to  handle 
the  long-rifle  cartridge  without  excessive  "  jumping  " 
is  most  practicable.  The  new  smokeless  and  greaselesS 
long-rifle  cartridge  should  be  used.  This  cartridge,  al- 
though only  a  target  size,  will  account  very  nicely  for 
grouse,  ducks,  and  the  smaller  furred  game  —  if  you 
shoot  straight. 

When  fishing  brushy  mountain  streams  and  small 
swamp  brooks  one  of  the  handiest  things  you  can  have 
along  is  a  light-weight  pocket-axe  that  you  can  slip  in 
a  hip-pocket  and  never  know  it  is  there  until  you  want 
It.  Perhaps,  some  day,  after  you  have  gnawed  apart 
a  good-sized  and  very  tough  tree  with  a  jack-knife,  to 
make  a  bridge  over  a  flooded  brook  in  a  tamarack 
swamp  —  or  walked  ten  miles  to  get  around  it  —  you 
will  remember  this. 

In  the  matter  of  what  to  wear  it  is  difficult  to  give 


xoo      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

advice  which  will  be  generally  applicable.  Trout  fish- 
ing is  done  under  a  variety  of  local  con- 
^'  ditions  and  at  different  seasons,  in  the 
woods  and  in  near-home  meadow  lands,  by  wading  the 
stream  and  by  casting  from  boat  or  canoe.  The  arti- 
cles here  mentioned  are  suitable  for  stream  wading  in 
the  spring  or  summer  in  such  streams  as  those  of  the 
Catskills,  the  Berkshires,  the  Adirondacks  or  streams 
of  like  character. 

Woolen  underclothes  and  socks  of  medium  weight 
are  by  far  the  best  for  the  purpose.  The  danger  of 
cotton  lies  in  the  fact  that  when  wet  with  water  or 
perspiration  it  cools  very  quickly. 

Nothing  is  more  suited  to  the  trout  fisherman's  needs 
than  a  hunting  coat  of  canvas,  khaki  or  duxbak,  the 
last  being  practically  waterproof  and  an  especially  good 
material.  These  coats  are  roomy  and  —  here's  the 
reason  —  they  are  all  pockets.  For  warm  weather 
trout  fishing  a  sleeveless  khaki  coat  cannot  be  beaten. 
Coats  of  this  description  cost  from  $2.00  to  $5.CX). 

Trousers  of  any  of  the  above  materials  and  also  of 
corduroy  —  the  latter  if  the  country  is  very  rough  — 
are  suitable.  Another  very  tough  material,  and  lighter 
than  corduroy,  is  fustian.  Knickers  or  riding  breeches 
are  good  to  wear  inside  boots  and  waders  since  they 
do  away  with  the  bunchy  fold  necessary  when  wearing 
long  trousers.  Khaki  riding  breeches  of  the  army  pat- 
tern have  no  hip-pockets,  a  great  fault  in  them  for 
field  use  but  one  easily  remedied.     Corduroy  wears  like 


CLOTHES  AND  OTHER  ACCESSORIES    loi 

iron  but  is  nasty  stuff  when  wet,  dries  slowly  and  is 
very  heavy.  Any  old  pair  of  trousers  will  do.  Prices 
for  canvas,  khaki  and  duxbak,  $3.00  to  $3.50. 

A  felt  hat  with  medium  brim  is  the  best  for  all- 
round  trout  fishing  wear,  particularly  good  if  you  are 
caught  out  in  a  hard  rain.  Where  a  good  deal  of 
brush  work  is  to  be  done  a  close-fitting  cap  of  some 
tough  material  is  perhaps  preferable  because  it  is  not 
quite  so  apt  to  be  caught  and  pulled  off  by  branches; 
also  the  stiff  peak  can  be  pulled  down  over  the  eyes 
affording  them  great  protection.  For  warm  weather 
fishing  nothing  is  better  than  one  of  the  round  duck 
hats;  this  when  you  are  not  going  to  be  in  the  woods 
to  any  extent. 

Shirts  of  gray  flannel  and  a  sweater  complete  the 
outfit  with  the  exception  of  waders. 

The  choice  lies  between  rubber  hip-boots,  regular 
wading  stockings  to  be  worn  with  wading  shoes,  or 
wading  pants  worn  with  wading  shoes. 
Wading  pants  and  stockings  are  good  to  ^  ^^^' 

use  when  you  are  living  or  camping  near  your  fishing; 
otherwise,  they  are,  in  some  ways,  undesirable. 
Woolen  socks  should  be  worn  between  waders  and 
shoes  to  keep  the  feet  of  the  waders  from  chafing.  An 
outfit  of  mackintosh  stockings  and  wading  shoes  will 
cost  about  $10.00;  wading  pants,  $2.00  more.  I  do 
not  believe  that  anything  is  better  suited  to  the  pur- 
pose, under  average  conditions,  than  a  good  pair  of 
light-weight  hip-boots.     For  wading  very  rocky  streams 


102     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

have  them  leather  soled  and  the  soles  studded  with  a 
few  soft  hobnails.  Wear  inside  them  a  pair  of  well- 
fitting  woolen  socks  —  not  the  "  rubber-boot  mocca- 
sins "  which  are  usually  furnished  and  are  sure  to 
work  down  at  the  heels  and  make  things  generally  un- 
comfortable. The  mackintosh  boots  are  also  good ;  also 
more  expensive. 

In  the  warmer  months,  if  you  are  so  situated  that 
you  can  change  into  dry  things  reasonably  soon  after 
you  are  through  fishing,  the  best  plan  is  to  wear  neither 
boots  or  waders  but  to  wade  the  stream  in  woolen  socks 
and  an  old  pair  of  knee-high  hunting  boots  with  small 
slits  cut  in  them  to  let  out  the  water;  or  the  regular 
wading  shoes  may  be  worn  with  canvas  leggings. 
Many  anglers  prefer  to  get  wet  from  the  "  outside 
in  "  rather  than  from  the  "  inside  out."  Following 
this  plan  you  do  not,  as  Mr.  Wells  expressed  it,  "  stew 
in  your  own  juice." 

General    Summary    of    Trout    Fly-Tackle    and 
Equipment. 

A  good  outfit  for  average  trout  fly-fishing: 

Rod:  lo  ft.,  six-strip,  split-bamboo;  weight,  6 
ounces. 

Reel:  Single-action  click;  rubber  and  German  sil- 
ver; loo  yds. 

Line:  Waterproofed,  enameled  silk,  size  E;  25 
yds. 


CLOTHES  AND  OTHER  ACCESSORIES    103 

Leaders:  i  doz.,  6  ft.;  "medium  trout";  better 
make  them  yourself. 

Flies:  4  doz.,  on  No.  8  and  10  hooks;  a  half  dozen 
of  each  kind,  four  of  them  on  the  No.  8  hooks;  Coach- 
man, cowdung,  March  brown,  queen  of  the  waters, 
Cahill,  Montreal,  grizzly  king,  Beaverkill. 

Fly-book:     To  hold  four  dozen  flies. 

Leader  box:     Nickel. 

Creel:     9  lb.,  willow;  new  style  sling. 

Landing  net:  Metal  frame  take-down  with  elastic 
cord. 

The  above  will  form  a  pretty  fair  basic  outfit.  You 
will  add  various  articles  and,  also,  various  items  will 
constantly  be  subtracted  from  this  list  by  wear  and 
accident. 

Wear:  Canvas,  khaki  or  duxbak  hunting  coat. 
Trousers  of  same  material.  Woolen  underclothes 
and  socks.  Light-weight  hip-boots  or  waders.  Felt 
hat. 

Carry  —  if  you  feel  like  it  —  one  or  two  of  the  fol- 
lowing: Waterproof  match  safe ;  pocket  axe ;  .22  pistol 
or  rifle;  line  releaser;  scales  and  tape;  repair  kit;  cam- 
era. Do  not  load  up  with  a  lot  of  superfluous  dufflr 
of  only  semi-occasional  or  questionable  utility.  You 
will  have  trouble  enough  without  packing  a  sporting 
goods  store  through  the  brush. 

Don't  forget  your  pipe  and  tobacco  —  and  plenty 
of  matches. 


104     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

Remember,  also,  when  you  have  the  chance  to  catch 
more  trout  than  you  ought  to,  not  to  do  it. 
And  — "  may  the  East  wind  never  blow." 

Note. —  The  foregoing  chapters  are  in  many  ways  ap- 
plicable to  the  subjects  treated  in  the  following.  The 
reader  who  is  not  immediately  interested  in  trout  fly- 
fishing should,  nevertheless,  read  the  above,  especially 
with  regard  to  rod  construction  and  selection.  To  avoid 
needless  repetition  subsequent  chapters  will  be  less  de- 
tailed   in    many    respects. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  ROD  FOR  BAIT-CASTING 

WITH  the  exception  of  a  few  scattered  arti- 
cles which  have  appeared  in  one  or  two 
magazines  scarcely  anything  has  appeared 
in  print  concerning  the  tools  and  tackle  required  for 
the  modern  angling  method  of  bait-casting  with  a  short 
rod,  free-running  reel,  and  some  form  of  bait  usually 
artificial.  Recently  several  books  have  been  published, 
dealing  largely  or  entirely  with  angling,  but  in  none 
of  them  is  more  than  passing  notice  taken  of  bait-cast- 
ing; and  the  little  that  their  authors  have  had  to  say 
has  been  rather  misleading  than  otherwise,  simply,  it 
would  seem,  because  they  were  discussing  a  method 
with  which  they  happened  to  be  unfamiliar.  For  this 
reason  I  shall  try  to  make  the  present  discussion  as  ade- 
quate as  possible,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact  that  an- 
glers all  over  the  country  are  enthusiastic  about  the 
sport,  while  new  recruits  are  constantly  joining  the 
ranks,  proving  conclusively  that  the  game  has  come  to 
stay. 

Bait-casting  is  usually  done  for  bass,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing discussion  of  the  casting  rod  and  other  bait- 


io6     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

casting  tools  and  tackle  their  fitness  for  use  in  angling 
for  this  game  fish  will  be  chiefly  considered.  The  an- 
gler having  become  familiar  with  casting  for  bass 
should  have  no  trouble  in  making  the  necessary  tackle 
changes  for  mascalonge  and  others  whenever  it  should 
happen  to  be  necessary. 

Choice  of  material  for  the  bait-casting  rod  is  the 
same  as  for  the  fly-rod  —  split-bamboo  in  hexagonal 
and   octagonal;   greenheart;   bethabara; 
TUT  ^'  noibwood,  a  selected  quality  of  bethaba- 

ra; and  lancewood.  Steel  rods  for  bait- 
casting  are  also  made  in  many  styles.  While  in  the  mat- 
ter of  fly-rod  material  expert  opinion  is  unanimously  in 
favor  of  split-bamboo,  personal  choice  among  experts 
as  to  the  best  material  for  the  casting  rod  is  quite  con- 
flicting. 

For  tournament  casting,  it  may  be  said  that  split- 
bamboo  is  by  far  the  most  generally  used ;  from  which 
it  would  appear  that  this  material,  on  the  ground  that 
tournament  casting  is  the  acid  test  of  tackle  and  meth- 
ods of  tackle  handling,  is  the  most  likely  to  prove  sat- 
isfactory. But,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  when  we  come 
down  to  practical  angling  and  black  bass,  we  find  that 
the  solid  wood  rods,  and  sometimes  the  steel  rods,  are 
used  by  fishermen  far  more  frequently  than  those  of 
split-bamboo.  For  the  explanation  of  this  we  have  to 
seek  no  farther  than  the  character  and  habits  of  the 
black  bass  and  the  generally  rough-and-ready  nature  of 
the  fishing  for  him.     The  black  bass,  size  for  size,  is 


THE  ROD  FOR  BAIT-CASTING      107 

just  about  the  hardest  fighting  game  fish  that  swims,  re- 
sisting to  the  limit  in  both  the  water  and  the  air ;  and 
the  angler  who  makes  a  specialty  of  bass  fishing  must 
be  prepared  to  handle  a  fish  of  from  one  to  five  pounds 
—  two  pounds  frequently  and  very  often  more  —  a 
very  different  matter  from  the  usual  quarter-  or  three- 
quarter  pound  brook  trout. 

The  situation  resolves  into  something  like  this:  If 
your  fishing  is  to  be  done  in  unobstructed  waters,  where 
the  bass  may  be  safely  given  his  head  and  where  the  rod 
need  never  be  brutalized,  use  a  casting  rod  of  split- 
bamboo,  six-strip  preferably;  this  for  the  reason  that, 
equally  as  in  the  case  of  the  fly-rod,  the  split-bamboo 
casting  rod,  of  good  quality,  is  in  a  class  by  itself.  But 
if  you  fish  in  weedy  lakes  and  rivers  flowing  through 
woodlands,  where  the  run  which  may  be  allowed  the 
bass  is  strictly  limited,  and  where,  at  some  period  of  the 
play,  it  is  practically  certain  that  you  will  have  to  give 
the  butt,  it  is  very  much  the  best  plan  to  use  a  good, 
sturdy  solid  wood  rod.  For  ease  and  pleasure  of  han- 
dling and  the  utmost  efficiency  in  casting  —  the  split- 
bamboo;  for  hammer-and-tongs  bass  fishing,  the  usual 
sort,  a  solid  wood  rod  will  give  you  better  service. 

Solid  wood  rods  for  bait-casting  may  be  had,  as  above 
noted,  in  noibwood,  bethabara,  greenheart  and  lance- 
wood.  Their  respective  merits  are  in  the  order  stated. 
The  noibwood  rods  are,  unfortunately,  controlled  by  a 
single  tackle  firm  and,  consequently,  "  come  high."  I 
have  used  one  of  them  a  great  deal  and  may  say  unre- 


io8      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

servedly  that  they  are  the  finest  casting  rods  in  the 
market;  that  is,  in  solid  wood.  Bethabara  comes  next 
and  is  hard  to  find  in  the  tackle  stores.  I  know  of  only 
one  tackle  maker  who  regularly  furnishes  bethabara 
rods.  Rods  of  greenheart  and  lancewood  are  furnished 
by  all  the  dealers  in  the  most  desirable  lengths  and 
styles. 

As  a  general  utility  rod  for  bait-casting  probably 
nothing  is  better  than  a  steel  rod  of  the  best  grade  — 
and  there  are  many  poor  grades.  They  are  furnished 
in  different  styles  and  in  all  lengths.  The  best  rods  are 
made  with  solid-cork  hand-grasp  and  independent  butt. 
They  are  guaranteed  for  three  years.  Any  number  of 
agates  may  be  fitted,  and  German  silver  trumpet  guides 
are  furnished  regularly  on  some  of  them.  Provided  the 
rod  is  wiped  dry  after  using,  to  avoid  rust,  it  is  always 
ready  for  use  —  no  frayed  windings,  warped  joints  and 
the  like.  Of  course,  considering  a  rod  as  merely  a  cast- 
ing machine,  the  steel  rod  is  not  the  equal  of  the  good 
split-bamboo  and  solid  wood  rods.  The  steel  rod  is, 
however,  about  four  times  better  than  a  split-bamboo  of 
equal  price.  The  steel  rod  is  a  good  one  to  learn  the 
game  with  and,  also,  a  very  handy  tool  at  any  time. 
Do  not,  on  a  trip  which  will  take  you  out  of  striking 
distance  of  the  tackle  shops,  depend  solely  on  a  steel 
rod.     It  cannot  be  spliced. 

The  history  of  the  bait-casting  rod  begins  with  the 
rod  known  as  the  "  Henshall,"  made  to  the  specifica- 
tions of  Dr.  James  A.  Henshall^  whose  work  in  the 


THE  ROD  FOR  BAIT-CASTING      109 

field  of  angling  literature,  and  in  game  fish  culture, 
has  placed  every  American  sportsman 
deeply  in  his  debt.  This  rod  is  8>4  Length 
feet  in  length,  and  designed  purely  for  "Weight 
underhand  casting,  the  side  cast,  and  for 
casting  the  minnow  and  other  natural  baits,  a  method 
discussed  in  a  later  chapter.  This  form  of  bass  fish- 
ing, with  its  accompaniments  of  live-bait  trouble-mak- 
ers, never  acquired  wide  popularity,  the  majority  of 
bass  fishermen  continuing  to  still-fish  or  troll  or,  under 
favorable  conditions,  fly-fish.  Then,  only  a  few  years 
ago,  some  anglers  in  the  vicinity  of  Chicago  began  to 
use  a  very  short  rod,  generally  less  than  six  feet,  and 
to  cast  overhead ;  a  method  suited  to  and  evolved  from 
the  local  bass  fishing  conditions,  weedy,  shallow  lakes, 
where  great  accuracy  in  casting,  attained  best  by  the 
overhead  cast,  and  a  sturdy  rod  were  essentials.  The 
baits  used  were  frogs  and  various  pork-rind  baits. 
Followed  then  the  invention  of  a  number  of  artificial 
baits  which  were  very  successful  and  adapted  for  cast- 
ing with  the  short  rod  —  and  the  game  of  bait-casting 
had  its  inception.  Many  anglers  now  favor  the  ex- 
clusive use  of  artificial  baits  for  bass  even  as  the  fly- 
fishing purist  is  wont  to  frown  upon  the  use  of  bait  for 
trout.  This  is  purely  a  matter  of  the  personal  equa- 
tion. Many  of  us  can  still  see  some  slight,  passing 
merit  in  a  "  garden  hackle,"  or,  on  occasion,  some  little 
utility  in  the  plebeian  strip  of  pork-rind. 

For  practical  angling  it  is  now  pretty  generally  con- 


no     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

ceded  that  the  proper  length  for  the  casting  rod  lies 
somewhere  between  53^  and  6  feet.  Personally  I  have 
cast  with  a  Henshall  rod,  8yi  feet,  a  7-foot  rod,  a  5^- 
foot  rod,  and  a  6-foot  rod.  With  each  of  these  I  have 
had  a  good  deal  of  experience  under  various  condi- 
tions, and  I  have  talked  and  fished  much  with  other 
anglers  who  used  rods  of  other  lengths.  For  all  round 
fishing  the  six-foot  rod  is,  it  seems  to  me,  by  far  the 
best.  The  average  length  of  the  original  "  Kalama- 
zoo ''  casting  rods  was  less  than  five  feet ;  and  for  long 
distance  tournament  work  rods  of  5j4  to  5^  feet  are 
the  most  common.  But  the  casting  rod  for  fishing 
must  be  adapted  to  landing  a  bass  as  well  as  to  mere 
casting;  and,  within  reasonable  limits,  the  wise  angler 
will  sacrifice  casting  distance  to  efficient  bass-handling. 
It  has  been  proven  by  the  experience  of  a  multitude  of 
bait-casters,  certainly  by  my  own  experience,  that  the 
very  short  rods  are  mighty  poor  tools  with  which  to 
land  a  bass.  The  rod,  however,  must  not  be  too  long, 
for  this  will  make  the  overhead  cast  a  matter  of  too 
much  difficulty.  In  fishing,  the  side  and  overhead  cast 
will  be  used  impartially.  The  six-foot  rod  is  long 
enough  to  handle  a  bass  well,  and  short  enough  for 
overhead  casting;  in  fact,  it  answers  all  the  require- 
ments of  the  bait-casting  rod.  The  six-foot  rod  is 
hereby  recommended. 

The  matter  of  weight  will  be  regulated  by  the 
length  of  rod  and  the  rod  material.  Split-bamboo 
casting  rods  average  about  an  ounce  to  the  foot;  solid 


I 


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II 

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'      MB          W 

THE  ROD  FOR  BAIT-CASTING      in 

wood  rods  slightly  more;  the  steel  rods  are  the  heavi- 
est. A  six-foot  split  bamboo  casting  rod  should  weigh 
about  SIX  ounces;  one  of  noibwood  or  greenheart, 
seven  ounces;  steel,  eight  ounces. 

Bait-casting  rods  are  made  in  one-piece  style  with 
independent  butt;  in  two  joints  and  in  three  joints. 
One-piece  rods   are  obviously  the  best 

and,   also   obviously,   the  worst.     That       -^"?  f^ 
1^  J      .11  1-         1-    /:  •         of  Joints, 

such  a  rod  will  have  the  finest  attaina- 
ble action  and  the  greatest  strength  goes  without  say- 
ing —  but  the  rod  doesn't  "  go "  without  trouble. 
They  are  very  unhandy  things  to  carry.  For  ordinary 
use  they  are  not  desirable.  Personally  I  always  sus- 
pect a  two-piece  rod  with  ferrules  directly  in  the  mid- 
dle where  the  greatest  strain  comes;  but  many  costly 
rods  are  made  in  this  way  by  makers  who  are  sup- 
posed to  know  their  business.  However,  the  two-piece 
rod  is  not  here  advised.  The  rod  in  three  joints  is  the 
best  for  the  everyday  angler;  it  is  handy  to  carry  and 
preferable  in  other  ways. 

In  regard  to  ferrules  and  ferrule  material,  hand- 
grasp  material,  and  the  like,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
Chapter    3.     Guides    for    the    casting 
rod  are  very  different  from  those  for  the     -p-f/? 
fly-rod  and  demand  separate  discussion. 
The  short  casting  rod  as  it  first  appeared  generally  in 
the  tackle  stores  was  fitted  with  very  large  guides, 
made  of  one  or  several  turns  of  wire,  the  diameter 
of  the  guides  being  sometimes  as  large  or  even  larger 


112     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

than  a  twetity-five  cent  piece.  Few  good  rods  are 
found  at  the  present  time  fitted  with  these  exaggerated 
Kalamazoo  guides,  although  you  will  occasionally  see 
them  in  use.  They  are  not  necessary ;  they  burden  the 
rod ;  make  the  rod  unhandy  to  put  in  its  case ;  and  — 
do  not  use  them.  Of  course  the  idea  was  to  avoid  the 
friction  of  the  out-running  line,  but  experience  has 
proven  that  the  more  conservative  guides  are  nearly 
if  not  quite  as  efficient. 

The  rod  may  be  adequately  fitted  in  the  matter  of 
guides  in  two  ways:  First,  the  best  and  most  expen- 
sive way,  use  nothing  but  narrow  raised-agates  of 
moderate  size  and  offset  agate  tip  guide;  or,  secondly, 
trumpet  guides  of  German  silver  with  agate  hand  and 
tip  guides.  For  long  distance  casting  the  raised 
agates  are  the  thing ;  but,  as  in  fly-casting,  the  man  who 
is  continually  trying  to  cast  "  clean  across  the  lake  " 
generally  gets  more  exercise  than  bass.  At  any  rate 
use  the  agate  hand  and  tip  guides.  Increased  ease  in 
casting  undoubtedly  results  and  they  save  line-wear  to 
a  very  appreciable  extent. 

Some  very  good  rods  are  furnished  with  a  finger- 
rest.  While  this  is  more  or  less  a  matter  of  taste,  the 
use  of  a  finger-pull  is  not  at  all  necessary  for  good 
casting  and  it  is  better  not  to  use  one.  They  are 
liable  to  get  smashed  and  are  in  the  way  when  casing 
the  rod.  The  finger-pull  was  a  regular  feature  of  the 
first  short  casting  rods  but  is  not  now  so  frequently 
seen ;  indeed,  the  present  tendency  among  rod  makers  is 


THE  ROD  FOR  BAIT-CASTING       113 

toward  discontinuing  entirely  its  use  on  the  better  class 
rods. 

You  will  have  to  choose  between  the  single  and 
double  handgrasp.  In  this  matter,  also,  personal  pref- 
erence IS  a  factor.  The  rod  with  double  handgrasp  is 
more  comfortable  to  fish  with,  since  the  rod  hand  is 
less  liable  to  become  cramped,  the  upper  grasp  afford- 
ing a  larger  and  firmer  grip.  The  single  grasp  rod 
has  the  better  action  and  dispenses  with  the  weight, 
small  to  be  sure,  of  the  extra  grasp.  But  if  you  find 
two  rods  both  equally  acceptable  to  you,  one  with 
double  grasp,  the  other  with  single,  choose  the  former, 

Be  sure  that  the  construction  of  the  reel-seat  is  such 
as  to  give  the  reel  a  very  firm  attachment.  Some  form 
of  locking  reel-bands,  not  necessarily  complicated  or  ex- 
pensive, IS  preferable. 

A  good  bait-casting  rod  will  cost  about  the  same 
as  a  fly-rod  of  equal  quality.  The  best  grade  split- 
bamboo  rods  average  about  $25.00; 
medium  grade  $15.00  to  $18.00.  Solid 
wood  rods  of  the  best  grade  in  bethabara,  greenheart 
and  lancewood,  may  be  had  for  $8.00  to  $12.00;  noib- 
wood,  $15.00;  steel  rods  up  to  $10.00.  For  agate 
hand  and  tip  guides  add  $2.00. 

.«     The  logical  place  to  discuss  casting 

Casting      from  the  reel  is  in  connection  with  the 

Reel         casting  rod;  the  reader  should,  however, 

to  thoroughly  understand  the  following, 

familiarize  himself  with   the  other  tackle  in  use  by 


114     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

reference  to  the  next  chapter.  It  is  a  good  plan, 
when  learning  how  to  cast,  to  use  a  surface  bait,  one 
that  will  float  when  you  get  into  trouble  with  the  reel 
and  line;  that  is,  of  course,  when  practicing  over 
water.  It  is  quite  practicable  to  learn  casting  over  a 
lawn  or  any  unobstructed  place,  and  in  this  case  a  half- 
ounce  dipsey  sinker  makes  a  good  casting  weight,  or  a 
tournament  weight,  furnished  by  all  the  tackle  dealers, 
may  be  used.  It  is  preferable,  however,  to  practice 
over  water.  There  are  two  styles  of  casting  from  the 
reel,  the  side  and  overhead  casts,  and  of  these  the 
side  cast  is  much  the  easier  to  learn.  When  you  have 
acquired  the  side  cast  so  that  you  can  use  it  effectively 
and  without  backlashing  the  overhead  cast  will  come 
more  as  a  matter  of  course.  The  side  cast  is  made  as 
follows : 

Assemble  the  rod  and  place  the  reel  in  the  reel-seat 
so  that  when  the  rod  is  held  with  the  reel  on  top  the 
handle  of  the  reel  will  be  to  the  right.  Reel  up  the 
line  so  that  the  casting  weight  or  bait  hangs  about  one 
foot  from  the  rod  tip.  With  neither  click  nor  drag  on 
the  reel,  so  that  the  spool  will  revolve  freely,  and 
keeping  the  thumb  of  your  rod  hand  firmly  pressed 
down  on  the  line  wound  on  the  reel,  swing  the  rod  to 
the  rear  with  the  rod  tip  pointing  a  little  downward. 
Then  bring  the  rod  smartly  forward  and  slightly  up- 
ward across  the  body  in  the  direction  you  wish  to 
cast,  releasing  the  pressure  of  the  thumb  on  the  line 
sufficiently  to  allow  the  line  to  run  out  through  the 


THE  ROD  FOR  BAIT-CASTING      115 

guides  when  the  rod  has  swung  about  half-way 
through  the  cast.  The  thumb  must  never  be  entirely 
removed  from  the  line  as  it  runs  out,  but  must  control 
the  reel  and  the  rendering  of  the  line  throughout  the 
entire  cast.  Otherwise  the  reel  will  revolve  faster 
than  the  line  pays  out  and  a  backlash  will  result.  Any 
adequate  definition  of  a  backlash  is  quite  unprintable. 
The  whole  trick  lies  in  educating  the  thumb  to  regu- 
late the  reel  speed. 

Presuming  that  you  are  actually  fishing,  as  soon  as 
the  bait  reaches  the  water,  just  prior  to  which  point 
the  thumb  should  firmly  clamp  the  reel  to  prevent 
further  rendition  of  the  line,  shift  the  rod  from  the 
right  to  the  left  hand,  the  left  hand  grasping  the  rod 
above  the  reel,  and  reel  in  the  bait  taking  care  to  dis- 
tribute the  line  evenly  on  the  reel  with  the  thumb  or 
fingers  of  the  left  hand.  When  using  artificial  bait 
care  must  be  taken  to  keep  the  bait  in  motion  at  all 
times;  so,  regulate  the  shift  of  the  rod  from  one  hand 
to  the  other  so  that,  at  the  end  of  the  cast,  the  bait 
will  not  lie  motionless  on  the  water  for  even  a  second. 
With  a  little  practice  you  will  have  no  trouble  in 
making  casts  quite  sufficient  for  general  fishing  pur- 
poses, although,  probably,  you  would  not  shine  in  a 
casting  tournament.  The  principle  of  the  overhead 
cast  is  exactly  the  same  as  that  of  the  side  cast.  To 
make  this  cast,  however,  the  rod  is  brought  back  over 
the  shoulder  and  swung  directly  forward.  Greater 
distance  and  accuracy  are  obtained  with  this  cast  than 


ii6     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

by  the  side  cast;  and  the  angler  should  acquire  it  as 
soon  as  possible. 

Recapitulation. 

Complete  specifications  for  the  casting  rod  should  be 
about  as  follows: 

Material:  For  general  work  a  rod  of  solid  wood; 
noibwood  or  bethabara  preferred.  For  practice  cast^ 
ing  and  open  fishing,  split-bamboo. 

Joints :     Three. 

Length:     5^  to  6  feet;  the  latter  recommended. 

Ferrules:  German  silver,  waterproof,  capped,  ser^ 
rated  and  welted. 

Reel-seat:     German  silver;  above  grasp. 

Handgrasp:     Solid  cork;  either  double  or  single. 

Guides:  Narrow  raised  agates  are  the  best;  Ger- 
man silver  trumpet  guides  with  agate  hand  and  tip 
guides. 

Plain  windings. 


CHAPTER  IX 

REELS,  LINES  AND  ARTIFICIAL  BAITS 

SIMPLICITY  IS  the  keynote  of  the  bait-caster's 
outfit  and  is,  moreover,  one  of  the  potent  rea- 
sons for  the  popularity  of  this  angling  method. 
The  tackle  for  bait-casting  is  far  simpler  than  that  re- 
quired for  fly-casting  or  general  bait-fishing  for  bass. 
Rod,  reel,  line,  and  a  few  artificial  baits  which  may 
be  easily  carried  in  a  small  tackle  box  are,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  general  angling  tools,  all  that  is 
required.  But  in  the  case  of  reel  and  line  your  choice 
must  be  made  carefully.  With  the  right  tackle  bait- 
casting  is  a  matter  of  little  difHculty;  with  the  wrong 
tackle  it  is  an  impossibility.  Only  one  sort  of  reel 
and  one  sort  of  line  can  be  used  successfully  for  bait- 
casting. 

The  Reel. 

Bait-casting  can  be  properly  done  only  with  a  quad- 
ruple multiplying  reel.  For  fly-fishing  the  reel,  pro- 
vided the  right  kind  is  used,  is  a  very  secondary  af- 
fair. In  bait-casting  the  reel  is  the  most  important 
item  in  the  entire  outfit.  You  can  rig  up  guides  on 
117 


ii8      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

an  umbrella  handle  or  a  broomstick,  fit  either  of  them 
with  a  good  reel,  go  fishing  and  catch  bass.  This  in- 
volves a  confession  but  I  feel  impelled  to  say  that  once, 
when  bait-casting  for  bass,  I  smashed  the  rod  short  off 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  middle  joint.  Whereupon  I 
discarded  the  tip  and  continued  to  cast  with  the  re- 
mains—  with  no  great  difficulty  but,  naturally,  with 
little  grace, —  and  took  four  good  bass  after  the  smash- 
up.  Practically  in  bait-casting  the  reel  does  all  the 
work,  and  the  amount  of  work  it  has  to  do  is  immense. 
An  average  day's  fishing  will  usually  amount  to 
about  six  hours  of  continual  casting,  during  which  the 
reel  is  constantly  at  work,  paying  out  the  line  at  high 
speed  and  again  recovering  it.  It  goes  without  saying 
that  a  poor  mechanism,  a  reel  of  cheap  material  and 
carelessly  adjusted,  will  be  racked  apart  very  shortly. 
You  cannot  over-estimate  the  importance  of  the  reel, 
or  the  importance  of  a  good  reel  if  you  want  to  get  the 
most  out  of  your  sport. 

The  quadruple  casting  reel  has  four  revolutions  of 
the  spindle  to  one  turn  of  the  handle.     The  reel  han- 
dle is  not,  as  in  the  case  of  the  single- 
How  the     action  reel,  fixed  to  the  spindle  directly, 
Made        ^^^  connects  with  a  ratchet  which   in 
turn  works  in  a  cog-wheel  at  the  spindle 
end.     The  ratchet  with  which  the  reel  handle  con- 
nects may  have  32  cogs  to  8  in  the  spindle  ratchet, 
thus  giving  four  turns,  of  the  spindle  to  one  of  the 
handle.     This  mechanism  is  enclosed  within  the  plates 


REELS,  LINES  AND  BAITS  119 

on  the  handle  side  of  the  reel,  and  within  the  opposite 
plates  are  placed  the  click  and  drag.  Some  casting 
reels  are  made  without  the  drag  and  in  this  connec- 
tion It  may  be  said  that  if  the  reel  has  a  good  strong 
click,  sufficient,  say,  to  keep  the  line  from  out-run- 
ning when  trolling,  the  drag  is  unnecessary.  But  if 
the  click  is  not  strong  there  will  be  many  occasions 
when  a  drag  is  needed.  All  working  parts  of  the 
reel  should  be  of  tempered  steel,  otherwise  its  life  will 
be  correspondingly  short. 

The  quadruple  reel  is  made  for  the  purpose  of 
casting  out  a  far  line,  and  distinctly  not  for  the  pur- 
pose of  whirling  in  a  fish.  But  the  reel  need  not 
necessarily  be  so  finely  constructed  that  it  will  run  for 
half  an  hour  when  the  handle  is  given  a  start.  In 
fact,  a  reel  of  this  sort  is  apt  to  be  troublesome  to  the 
angler,  productive  of  backlashes.  It  follows  that  the 
practical  angler  may  dispense  with  jeweled  bearings, 
insisting  only  that  the  reel  be  well  and  strongly  made, 
sufficiently  free-running,  and  with  its  working  parts 
of  honest  steel  —  a  tool  for  hard  work  and  lots  of  it. 
Jeweled  bearings  have,  however,  the  virtue  of  making 
the  reel  longer  lasting,  which  is  a  consideration  worth 
taking  into  account. 

In  the  matter  of  reel  material,  while  many  reels 
are  made  of  hard  rubber  and  German  silver  in  com- 
bination,   almost   all   the   good   casting 
reels  are  made  of  solid  metal,   princi- 
pally of  German  silver,  cheaper  ones  being  furnished 


uo     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

in  nickel.  Aluminum  is  also  used,  particularly  for 
the  spool. 

As  noted  below,  the  line  for  bait-casting  is  of  very 
small  caliber  and  it  follows  that  a  large  reel  is  not 
needed.  Casting  lines  are  sold  in  fifty- 
<^h  ^^^  ^^^^  lengths,  and  to  hold  this  amount 
'  of  line  a  sixty-yard  reel  is  quite  large 
enough.  The  multiplying  reel  holds  practically  the 
amount  of  line  called  for  by  the  trade  size,  this  not 
being  the  case,  as  above  noted,  with  the  single-action 
reel.  The  next  size  reel,  80  yards,  requires,  when  50 
yards  of  line  are  used,  a  core  of  line,  cork  or  wood  to 
fill  up  the  reel  spool  before  the  casting  line  proper 
IS  wound  on.  Some  casters  build  around  the  reel  spin- 
dle a  core  of  cork  or  wood;  but  this  is  a  troublesome 
affair  in  case  the  angler  wishes  at  any  time  to  use 
more  line  than  allowed  for  when  fitting  the  core. 
It  IS  better  simply  to  wind  on  a  core  of  cheap  line  al- 
though this  is  apt  to  work  loose  and  cause  soft  and  un- 
even spooling  of  the  line.  On  a  light  split-bamboo 
casting  rod  use  a  small  reel.  For  solid  wood  or  steel 
rods  any  of  the  80-yard  reels  will  do. 

In  shape  the  reel  should  be  long  in  the  barrel,  that 
is,  between  the  end  plates,  and  the  end  plates  should 
be  of  small  diameter,  thus  differing  from  the  ordinary 
double-multiplying  reel  in  which  the  spindle  is  usually 
short.  The  long  barrel  facilitates  thumbing  the  reel. 
Reels  having  even-spooling  or  self-thumbing  devices 
are  on  the  market,  the  idea  being,  it  seems,  to  make 


REELS,  LINES  AND  BAITS  121 

any  skill  on  the  part  of  the  caster  unnecessary.  Re- 
putedly they  do  what  is  claimed  for  them;  personally 
I  have  never  used  one.  It  seems  to  me  that  there 
would  not  be  much  sport  in  using  a  self-aiming  rifle 
or  an  auto-striking  trout  fly,  and  that  there  would  be 
very  little  more  enjoyment  in  using  a  self- thumbing 
reel.  Mechanical  advancement  in  the  manufacture  of 
rifles,  reels  and  the  like,  is  a  praiseworthy  thing  un- 
til it  reaches  a  point  where  skill  on  the  part  of  the 
user  is  partially  or  wholly  eliminated.  When  a  sport- 
ing tool  reaches  this  stage  of  "  advancement "  it  ceases 
to  be  desirable. 

The  position  of  the  multiplying  reel  on  the  casting 
rod  is  properly  on  top  of  the  rod  with  the  handle  to 
the   right   for   the   right-handed   caster. 
If  you  go  into  the  literature  of  casting     tr  ,, 

r       1  -n    r     1     1  Position. 

tor  bass  to  any  extent  you  will  nnd  that 
another  method,  with  the  reel  underneath  the  rod  — 
that  is,  turned  underneath  when  reeling  in  —  is  stren- 
uously advocated  by  certain  writers.  Have  the  reel  on 
top,  handle  to  the  right,  and  keep  it  there  both  when 
casting  and  retrieving.  This  is  the  advice  and  prac- 
tice of  experienced  bait-casters  almost  to  a  man.  The 
reel,  when  placed  in  this  way,  is  far  easier  to  keep 
under  constant  control  either  when  thumbing  the  out- 
running line  or  spooling  the  line  when  reeling  in. 

As  regards  the  amount  to  pay  for  a  bait-casting  reel 
—  you  can  go  pretty  nearly  as  far  as  you  like.  Sixty 
dollars  is  about  the  top  price  for  a  stock  quadruple- 


122     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

tnultiplier,  and  $2.00  is  about  as  low  as  you  can  go. 

Bearing  in  mind  how  delicate,  in  a  way, 

the  mechanism  of  a  satisfactory  casting 
reel  must  be,  a  matter  of  as  accurate  adjustment  as  the 
assembling  of  a  fine  scientific  instrument  or  watch,  and, 
also  bearing  in  mind  the  amount  of  hard  work  the 
reel  must  do,  it  is  evident  that  the  two-dollar  reel 
will  not  be  quite  the  thing.  On  the  other  hand  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  sink  $60.00  for  a  reel.  A  certain 
very  popular  reel  used  a  great  deal  by  tournament 
casters  and  also  for  fishing,  costs,  full-jeweled,  $37.00. 
The  same  reel  without  jewels  is  $20.00.  A  reel  of 
this  quality  is  quite  good  enough  for  anyone  —  en- 
tirely too  good  for  a  great  many.  The  reels  most 
frequently  seen  in  use  on  lakes  and  streams  in  the 
woods,  as  distinguished  from  those  generally  observed 
in  use  on  artificial  casting  pools  in  parks  or  Madison 
Square!  Garden,  may  be  had  for  something  between 
$6.00  and  $15.00.  Some,  not  all,  of  these  reels  are 
very  good  ones  for  practical  fishing  and,  if  well  cared 
for,  will  last  a  long  time. 

Take  good  care  of  the  reel.     Use  a  light,  clean 
oil  upon  it  sparingly  but  frequently;  and  keep  the  reel 

free  from  sand  and  dust  on  the  outside. 
yare  or  jf  ^.j^^  j.ggj  ^^^  select  is  one  of  the 
the  Reel.  .  ,  1        t^         ,      . 

various   take-apart   reels,   why,    take   it 

apart;  but  if  it  is  not  of  this  sort,  by  all  means 
leave  it  together.  Probably  you  would  not  attempt 
the  taking-down  and  assembling  of  a  watch,  and  a 


REELS,  LINES  AND  BAITS  123 

finely  adjusted  quadruple  reel  is  worthy  of  equal  re- 
spect. If  you  are  one  of  the  people  who  insist  on 
"  seeing  how  it  works  "  practice  a  little  self-restraint 
in  this  respect;  curiosity  has  spoiled  numberless  good 
casting  reels.  If  anything  goes  wrong  with  the  reel 
let  an  expert  right  it;  otherwise  you  may  have  to  get 
a  new  one. 

The  Line. 

The  line  for  use  in  bait-casting  must  be  a  very 
small  caliber  silk  line  with  no  waterproofing  or  en- 
ameling whatever.  It  should  be  braided  rather  than 
twisted  to  avoid  kinking  as  far  as  possible.  It  should 
also  be  soft  braided  rather  than  hard  braided.  The 
hard  braided  line  does  not  spool  as  closely  and  well 
as  the  soft  braided,  and,  moreover,  is  apt  to  be  hard 
on  the  caster's  thumb,  wearing  the  skin  down  to  the 
"  quick  "  in  a  few  hours'  casting.  Two  sizes  are  com- 
monly used  in  fishing,  sizes  G  and  H,  and  a  size  even 
smaller  than  H,  known  as  "  tournament "  is  some- 
times used. 

Never  attempt  to  do  bait-casting  with  a  line  larger 
than  size  G.  A  large  caliber  line  builds  up  so  quickly 
on  the  reel  spindle  that,  unless  the  very  greatest  care 
IS  taken  in  spooling,  more  care  than  one  wishes  to  ex- 
ercise when  fishing,  a  few  turns  of  the  reel  handle  will 
result  in  a  bunch  of  line  thick  enough,  if  the  reel  is 
pretty  well  filled,  to  foul  against  the  pillars  of  the  reel. 
For  average  fishing,  then,  use  a  size  G  soft  braided 


124      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

silk  line.  They  come,  as  above  noted,  In  50-yard 
lengths,  one  length  being  quite  enough  to  use,  and  an 
average  price  for  a  good  line  Is  $1.25.  The  color  is 
rather  Immaterial. 

The  balt-casting  line  having  no  vi^aterproofing  or 
enameling,  and  having  to  undergo  the  hardest  sort  of 
treatment,  being  whipped  out  through  the  rod  guides 
numberless  times  In  even  a  day's  fishing,  must  receive 
the  very  best  of  care  or  It  w^Ul  be  rendered  absolutely 
worthless  In  a  very  short  time.  If  j^ou  wish  the  line 
to  last  any  time  at  all  It  must  be  thoroughly  dried  out 
after  every  time  It  Is  used ;  otherwise,  if  left  undrled  on 
the  reel,  only  the  outer  windings  will  dry,  the  Inner 
ones  remaining  wet  for  a  good  many  hours;  and  It  Is 
obvious  that  with  this  sort  of  treatment  the  line,  no 
matter  how  good  it  Is,  will  rot  very  quickly.  Before 
every  day's  fishing  test  the  first  two  or  three  feet  of 
the  line.  The  friction  from  casting  will  whip  out  this 
part  of  the  line,  and  frequently  you  can  tear  off  a  foot 
or  two  without  applying  any  degree  of  force.  Strict 
observance  of  this  rule  will  save  you  several  dollars 
worth  of  artificial  baits  the  season  and  a  good  many 
good  bass.  Drying  the  line  Is  a  very  simple  matter. 
You  do  not  need  a  nickel  plated  windlass  or  any  other 
sort  of  patent  contrivance.  Simply  draw  the  wet  part 
of  the  line  from  the  reel,  laying  the  coils  evenly  to 
avoid  the  danger  of  tangling,  on  the  floor,  a  table  or  a 
chair  seat* 


REELS,  LINES  AND  BAITS  125 

Artificial  Baits. 

It  is  not  so  many  years  ago  that  the  only  artificial 
baits  used  consisted  of  spoons  in  various  styles,  phan- 
tom minnows,  and  divers  rubber  bugs.  As  noted 
above  the  new  method  of  casting  from  the  reel  greatly 
stimulated  the  use  and  production  of  artificial  lures 
and,  at  the  present  time,  the  bait-caster  may  make  his 
selection  from  a  great  many  different  sorts,  some  of 
which  are  very  good  and  others  very  bad.  Classifica- 
tion of  these  baits  in  general  shows  two  well  differen- 
tiated sorts ;  sinking  baits  and  surface  baits.  Although 
not  entirely,  the  greater  part  of  the  recently  introduced 
lures  belong  to  the  first  of  these  classes.  Generally 
speaking  the  surface  baits  are  only  successful  in  rather 
shallow  water,  two  to  eight  or  ten  feet,  and  are,  there- 
fore, only  to  be  used  when  the  bass  are  in  the  shallows. 
Of  the  sinking  baits  the  wooden  minnows  are  the  most 
numerous,  are  very  extensively  used,  and  the  best  ones 
are  usually  very  successful. 

Of  the  under-water  minnows  —  the  wooden  min- 
nows are  made  for  both  surface  and  submerged  fishing 
—  one  of   the  best   is  the  "  rainbow," 

made  by  a  well-known  manufacturer  of     Wooden 
,    .        ^.  .      .  ,  Minnows. 

castmg  baits.      1  his  minnow  has  a  green 

back,    yellowish    sides,    and    pink-to-white    belly.     As 

usually  furnished  it  is  fitted  with  three  burrs,  or  treble 

hooks,  and  with  spinners  fore  and  aft.     The  "  fancy 


126     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

back "  minnow,  of  the  same  make,  with  green  and 
white  mottled  back  and  white  belly,  is  also  very  suc- 
cessful. The  same  minnow  is  furnished  in  red,  white 
and  other  colors.  When  moving  through  the  water 
their  action  is  very  life-like,  and  they  cast  easily  and 
accurately,  the  weight  being  about  three-fourths  of  an 
ounce.  The  body  material  is  cedar  painted  with  sev- 
eral coats  and  enameled,  and  so  weighted  that  the 
minnow  always  runs  true.  The  spinners  revolve  in 
opposite  directions  and,  since  the  minnow  itself  does 
not  revolve,  there  is  no  necessity  for  swivels.  They 
are  made  in  various  sizes,  the  smallest  being  the  one 
to  use.  They  are  also  furnished  with  single  hooks  as, 
indeed  are  all  the  other  casting  baits  mentioned  herein. 
The  angler  who  does  not  favor  the  use  of  treble 
hooks,  and  many  very  rightly  do  not,  may  have  the 
baits  fitted  with  either  single  or  double  hooks  to  his 
order. 

Phantom  minnows  are  now  made  weighted  for  cast- 
ing from  the  reel.     They  are  furnished  in  pairs,  the 
individual  minnows  made  to  revolve  in 

y  antom     opposite  directions  and  to  be  used  in  turn 
Minnows.  .,  , .  , .       ,     ,.         ^r   , 

to  avoid  kinking  the  line.     Of  these  the 

silver-and-blue  is  generally  the  best. 

Other  under-water  casting  baits  arc 

Trolling      the  various  kinds  of  trolling  spoons  and 

snoons        ^^^  single-hook  fly-spoons  and  spinners. 

Every    angler     is     familiar    with    the 

trolling  spoon.     Used  as  a  casting  bait  its  efficiency  is 


REELS,  LINES  AND  BAITS  127 

very  greatly  increased  and  its  use  for  bait-casting  is 
very  general.  A  very  favorable  fact  in  regard  to  the 
trolling  spoons  and  fly-spoons  is  that  while,  perhaps, 
they  do  not  induce  as  many  strikes  as  do  the  wooden 
minnows  or  weighted  phantoms  they  are  more  apt  to 
hold  the  bass  when  hooked  than  are  the  heavier  baits; 
this  for  the  reason  that,  when  the  bass  comes  out  of 
the  water  and  shakes  himself,  the  weight  of  a  wooden 
minnow  or  other  comparatively  heavy  bait  affords  the 
fish  a  very  substantial  leverage  and  he  is  quite  likely 
to  free  himself.  The  spoons  and  small  spinners  be- 
ing light  and  with  several  loosely  moving  joints  do  not 
give  this  leverage.  For  bass  and  other  general  bait- 
casting  No.  2  or  3  spoons  are  the  best.  Spoons  are 
furnished  in  a  multitude  of  shapes,  hammered,  fluted, 
tandems,  etc.,  but,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  very 
little  choice  between  them;  and,  such  being  the  case, 
the  angler  should  select  a  spoon  which  has  no  tendency 
toward  freakishness.  Use  only  the  very  best  spoons 
you  can  find,  for  in  this  way  only  is  it  possible  to  get 
hooks  upon  which  you  can  depend.  The  cheap  spoons 
are  fitted  with  very  cheap  hooks.  A  very  fine  casting 
bait  is  a  "  bucktail "  spoon,  especially  good  for  bass. 

The  single-hook  fly-spoons,  small,  light  spoons  with 
very  thin  blades,  used  in  connection  with  rather  large- 
sized  bass  flies  of  approved  patterns,  coachman,  Mont- 
real, scarlet  ibis,  royal  coachman,  silver  doctor,  and 
others,  are  a  necessary  part  of  the  bait-caster*s  kit. 
The  fly-spoons  of  this  sort,  made  in  a  very  adequate 


128      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

assortment  of  styles  and  sizes,  by  one  well-known 
tackle  maker  who  makes  a  specialty  of  them,  are  es- 
pecially fine.  The  flies  are  well  tied,  and  true  to  pat- 
tern, piano-wire  shanks  and  no  swivels  are  features, 
and  it  would  be  difficult  to  praise  them  too  highly  — 
they  are  "  good  tackle."  For  casting  light  baits  a 
small  dipsey  sinker  should  be  used. 

Some  of  the  best  of  sport  in  bait-casting  is  to  be 
had  when  the  bass  are  lying  in  the  shallows  and  will 
rise  to  a  surface  bait.  The  swirl  and 
c^riace  vigor  with  which  a  two-pound,  well- 
conditioned  bass  strikes  a  floating  bait, 
followed  by  a  fight  always  close  to  the  surface  and 
usually  with  several  strenuous  jumps  in  close  succes- 
sion, place  this  branch  .of  bait-casting  in  a  class  by  it- 
self. In  a  way  it  has  -the  charm  of  fly-casting  — 
the  visible  strike  of  the  quarry.  But  the  accustomed 
fly-caster,  habituated  to  the  delicate  lures  of  his  craft, 
will  require  some  time  to  become  reconciled  to  the  size 
and  appearance  of  the  most  successful  floating  baits 
for  bass.  However,  the  success  and  sport  which,  under 
favorable  conditions  —  under  favorable  conditions,  too 
many  writers  have  made  it  appear  that  the  method  is 
at  all  times  infallible  —  are  such  that  the  angler  can 
well  afford  to  forego  too  strict  conservatism. 

The  wooden  minnows  mentioned  above  are  also 
made  for  surface  fishing;  but  in  this  form  they  are 
rather  large  and  make  too  much  fuss  in  the  water 
for  very  successful  use  in  civilized  waters.     In  addi- 


O     u. 

O      OJ 

J     ^ 


tSU 


J^  o 


h 


REELS,  LINES  AND  BAITS  129 

tion  to  these  there  are  three  well-known  surface  baits. 
The  first  of  these  is  an  imitation  made  of  cork  and  felt 
of  one  of  the  favorite  pork-rind  baits  of  the  Western 
bait-caster.  The  body  is  made  of  white  enameled 
cork  with  small  side  wings  of  red  felt  and  it  has  a 
tail  of  red  feathers.  Its  imitative  purpose  is  two-fold, 
to  represent  a  large  insect  while  in  the  air  (on  the  the- 
ory, a  true  one,  that  a  bass  sometimes  starts  for  a  bait 
while  it  is  still  in  the  air)  and  a  minnow  when  in  the 
water.  Whether  the  bait  actually  fills  this  rather 
versatile  bill  is  a  question;  there  is  no  question,  how- 
ever, about  its  catching  bass.  This  bait,  too,  is  prac- 
tically weedless,  more  so  than  any  other  surface  bait, 
and,  consequently  is  a  good  one  to  use  when  the  bass 
are  lying  close  in-shore  among  weeds  and  rushes.  It 
is  a  single-hook  lure  but  is  generally  used  with  an  aux- 
iliary trailer-hook,  in  which  form  it  is  most  success- 
ful, three  out  of  five  bass  being  taken  on  the  trailer. 

Another  surface  bait  is  what  has  been  called  "  plug 
shaped,"  is  principally  white  in  coloration,  and  derives 
its  bass-attractive  motion  from  a  metal  collar  placed 
well  forward.  This  bait  is  universally  and  very  suc- 
cessfully used  by  the  devotees  of  surface  bass  fishing. 
Of  all  surface  baits  this  one  is,  perhaps,  the  best  cal- 
culated to  arouse  the  well-known  pugnacious  instincts 
of  a  black  bass,  and  his  fighting  blood  will  often  cause 
him  to  rise  to  it  when  a  smaller  or  less  conspicuous 
lure  would  receive  scant  attention. 

One  of  the  first  top-water  baits  to  receive  the  ap- 


130     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

probation  of  the  black  bass  is  variously  known  as  the 
Yellow  Kid,  Jersey  Queen,  and  by  other  names.  It 
is  furnished  by  all  the  tackle  dealers.  Consultation 
of  a  general  tackle  catalogue  will  identify  the  above 
baits  without  difficulty.  There  are  many  others,  some 
perhaps  quite  as  good,  and  others  of  no  use  whatever. 
The  bait-caster  should  have  in  his  tackle  box  a 
small   screw-driver,   pliers,    and   a   "  one-drop "   oiler 

filled  with  a  light,  clean  oil.  Occa- 
Additional   gionally  one  of  the  screws  in  the  reel 

will  work  loose  and  in  such  case  the 
screw-driver  will  come  in  very  handy.  The  pliers 
will  be  needed  quite  often  for  tinkering  trolling  spoons 
and  other  casting  baits.  Occasionally  the  reel  will 
need  oil  when  you  are  fishing  —  when  the  oiler  will 
save  you  from  finishing  out  the  day  with  a  dry  reel  the 
same  being  good  for  neither  reel  nor  angler. 


CHAPTER  X 
GENERAL  SWEET-WATER  TACKLE 

THE  greater  part  of  fresh-water  fishing  tackle 
is  made  for  the  purposes  already  discussed; 
namely  fly-fishing  for  trout  and  casting 
for  bass.  Tackle  selection  for  either  of  these  angling 
methods  must  necessarily  be  careful,  and  if  the  outfit 
IS  to  be  exactly  suited  to  the  required  purpose  there  is 
little  room  for  choice  between  this  rod  or  that  one  or, 
say,  between  two  styles  of  reels  —  the  tackle  is  either 
suitable  or  proves  very  plainly  unsuitable.  But,  bar- 
ring bass  fly-tackle  and  tackle  for  salmon  fishing,  the 
latter,  of  course,  with  the  fly,  it  is  not  so  very  easy  to 
draw  a  hard  and  fast  line  between  what  is  right  or  the 
contrary  for  the  several  other  sorts  of  fishing.  In 
various  forms  of  still-fishing  and  trolling  all  sorts  and 
condition  of  rods,  reels  and  other  tackle  are  used  ef- 
fectively; consequently,  the  suggestions  here  offered 
are  not  to  be  taken  as  positive  advice  against  the  use 
of  other  and  somewhat  different  tackle  than  that  men- 
tioned herein. 

As  regards  bait-fishing  for  trout  and  the  proper  rod 
to  use  for  the  sport,  I  think  that  the  very  best  advice 
131 


132      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

that  can  be  given  is,  no  matter  what  sort  of  a  rod 

you  use,   not  to  use  your  fly-rod.     If 

r^^^i^^  you  have  the  right  fly-fishing  spirit  you 

for  Trout.        .„  ,    .  ,        , 

will  not  care  to  use  bait  except  when  the 

trout  are  ground-feeding  and  will  not  rise  to  the  sur- 
face. The  steady  strain,  in  swift  water,  which  a  rod 
has  to  undergo  in  this  sort  of  work  is  best  put  upon 
some  other  rod  than  a  fine  one  of  split-bamboo. 

Also,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  following  is  good  ad- 
vice: Do  not  use  a  regular  bait-rod,  that  is,  a  rod 
with  the  reel-seat  above  the  hand,  A  rod  of  this  sort 
is  all  right  for  fishing  from  a  boat,  but  for  stream  fish- 
ing for  trout  It  is  undesirable.  A  rather  short,  sturdy 
fly-rod,  with  the  reel-seat  below  the  hand,  where  you 
are  —  or  eventually  will  be  if  you  become  a  worthy 
fly-caster  —  most  accustomed  to  it,  is  far  better.  A 
split-bamboo  rod,  if  it  is  any  good  at  all,  is  too  good 
to  use  for  bait  fishing.  A  well-made  solid  wood  rod 
is  perfectly  good  for  the  purpose ;  and  it  should  be  the 
opposite  of  whippy.  Personally  I  think  that  one  of 
the  shorter  length  and  lighter  weight  steel  fly-rods 
cannot  be  beaten  for  all-round  trout  bait-fishing. 

If  you  use  a  rod  with  the  reel-seat  below  the  hand- 
grasp  the  single-action  reel  is  the  best  to  use  in  con- 
junction therewith.  If  the  reel-seat  is  above  the  hand, 
and  the  reel  is  placed  on  top  of  the  rod,  neither  of 
which  things  is  desirable,  although  it  is,  of  course,  more 
or  less  a  matter  of  personal  opinion,  a  double-multiply- 
ing reel  may  be  used. 


GENERAL  SWEET-WATER  TACKLE      133 

No  need  to  use  a  very  expensive  line  for  bait-fish- 
ing, and  it  should  be  of  smaller  caliber  than  for  fly- 
casting.  Twenty-five  yards  of  size  G  "  oiled  silk " 
line  will  fill  the  bill.  However,  an  enameled  line,  al- 
though not  necessary,  is  less  liable  to  whip  around  the 
rod  and  for  this  reason  will  give  better  satisfaction. 

For  average  worm-fishing  a  supply  of  Sproat  hooks 
from  No.  5,  no  larger,  to  No.  8,  on  gut  snells,  should 
be  laid  in. 

While,  perhaps,  it  is  more  than  a  mere  matter  of 
taste,  many  experienced  trout  fishermen  do  not  employ 
leaders  when  worm-fishing.  For  surface  bait-fishing, 
with  low  and  clear  water  —  a  good  time  for  dry  flies 
and  midges  —  it  seems  that  leaders  are  preferable. 
Three-foot  leaders  are  long  enough. 

Choice  of  lead  lies  between  ringed  sinkers  and  split- 
shot.  The  former  are  easier  to  put  on  and  take  off. 
The  best  style  of  bait-box  is  crescent-shaped  and  worn 
on  a  belt.  In  all  other  particulars  the  tackle  is  the 
same  as  for  trout  fly-fishing. 

Unfortunately,  reliable  bass  fly-fishing  is  rather  dif- 
ficult to  find.     This,  it  should  be  said,  is  through  no 
fault  of  the  black  bass,  but,  rather,  be- 
cause most  bass  waters  are  more  adapted    ■'^^ss-'J*  ^7" 

tackle, 
to  bait-casting  and  other  forms  of  bait- 
fishing  with  artificial  and  natural  baits  than  to  fly- 
fishing.    For   this   reason,   except   in   certain   favored 
localities  where  stream  fly-fishing  for  bass  is  done  in 
much  the  same  way  as  one  wades  a  trout  stream,  the 


134     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

majority  of  anglers  use  their  trout  tackle,  with  large 
size  trout  flies,  for  such  occasional  bass  fly-fishing  as 
they  may  find.  However,  the  angler  who  intends  to 
make  a  specialty  of  bass  fly-fishing  should  outfit  in  a 
slightly  different  way. 

The  rod  for  bass  fly-fishing  should  by  all  means  be 
of  split-bamboo.  Ten  feet  is  a  very  good  length,  and 
a  rod  an  ounce  or  so  heavier  than  the  trout  fly-rod 
and  with  a  stiff  backbone  should  be  selected.  The 
guides  and  other  mountings  should  be  exactly  the  same 
as  for  the  trout  fly-rod.  With  a  rod  such  as  the  above, 
twenty-five  yards  of  waterproof,  enameled  silk  line, 
either  level  or  tapered,  size  E,  should  be  used. 

A  single-action  click  reel,  loo-yard  size,  is  most 
suitable  for  the  rod  and  line  above  specified.  For  bass 
fly-fishing  a  double-multiplying  reel  may  properly  be 
used,  but  is  not  recommended  because  of  its  liability 
to  foul  the  line.  The  quick  retrieve  of  the  double- 
multiplier  is  sometimes  of  advantage  when  playing  a 
large  bass  from  the  reel.  If  a  multiplier  is  used  select 
the  8o-yard  size. 

Leaders  for  bass  fly-fishing  should  be  of  the  caliber 
most  commonly  known  as  "  regular  bass."  The  six- 
foot  length  should  be  selected  —  or  made  —  and  it  is 
best  to  use  only  one  fly,  so  the  leader  need  not  have 
dropper  loops.  Where  small  flies  are  used,  such  as  the 
larger  size  trout  flies  —  and  these  are  recommended  by 
many  experienced  bass  fly-fishermen  —  one  dropper 
fly  may  be  used. 


GENERAL  SWEET- WATER  TACKLE   135 

Regulation  bass  flies  are  tied  upon  Nos.  2,  4  and  6 
hooks,  and  some  even  larger  on  Nos.  i  and  i-o;  but 
these  last  are  most  suited  to  trolling.  Flies  on  4  and 
6  hooks  are  plenty  large  enough  and  best  suited  to 
almost  all  bass  waters. 

Here  is  a  list  of  good  bass  flies:  Coachman,  Hen- 
shall,  oriole,  royal  coachman,  silver  doctor,  Ferguson, 
Montreal,  Parmachene  Belle,  scarlet  ibis,  grizzly 
king.     Also  the  various  hackles  and  palmers. 

Other  necessary  articles  for  the  bass  fly-fishing  kit, 
all  of  w^hich  have  been  above  described,  are:  Leader 
box,  fly-book,  creel,  etc.  See  chapters  on  trout  fly- 
fishing. The  subject  of  bass  fly-fishing  is,  of  course, 
entitled  to  much  more  extended  treatment  than  is 
here  accorded  it ;  but  the  tools  and  tackle  for  the  same 
so  closely  approximate  those  required  for  trout  fly- 
casting  that,  in  view  of  the  above  rather  full  treatment 
of  the  latter,  further  discussion  seems  unnecessary 
here. 

Trolling  IS  a  favorite  and  effective  method  of  taking 

bass  and  other  game  fish  and  the  tackle  required  is 

not    at    all    complicated.     As    a    usual 

thing  the  angler  can   assemble  a  good     Trolling 

Td.ckl6 
trolling    outfit    from    his    general    kit. 

The  rod  may  be  of  any  sort  —  it  is  taken  for  granted 
that  you  will  not  care  to  troll  with  a  hand-line  — 
but  should  be  a  stiff  one.  For  the  reason  that  a  quad- 
ruple-multiplying reel  has  not  the  winding-in  power 
of  a  double-multiplier  the  latter  should  be  used.     Any 


136      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

of  the  artificial  casting  baits  mentioned  in  Chapter  9 
are  also  suited  to  trolling.  The  top-water  baits,  in 
particular  are  good  to  troll  with  since  they  do  not  get 
fouled  easily  and  do  not  sink  to  the  bottom  when  for 
any  reason  the  boat  is  stopped. 

Be  generous  in  your  use  of  swivels,  for  of  all  meth- 
ods trolling  is  most  apt  to  throw  a  kink  in  the  line; 
and  for  this  reason  it  is  best  not  to  use  a  line  upon 
which  you  depend  for  bait-casting.  Also,  do  not  use 
a  light  split-bamboo  casting-rod  for  trolling,  since  the 
steady  deep-water  strain  is  liable  to  give  it  a  set.  If 
your  favorite  fishing  is  fly-  and  bait-casting  your  reel 
outfit  will  probably  consist  of  single-actions  and  quad- 
ruple-multipliers. In  this  case  get  a  double-multiplier, 
8o-yard  size.  A  very  good  one  can  be  had  in  rubber 
and  nickel  for  $4.50.  Use  50  or  75  yards  of  F  or  G 
oiled  silk  line.  Be  sure  that  the  reel  has  a  strong 
click  so  that,  when  trolling,  the  line  will  not  run  out 
when  the  thumb  is  removed  from  the  spool. 

Still-fishing  with  live  minnows  and  other  natural 
baits  is  the  most  universally  practiced  method  of  fish- 
ing. Most  of  the  people  who  "  go  fish- 
^^t'^W^'^^  ing"  never  learn  to  cast  either  fly  or 
bait  —  which  is  not  saying  that  some  ex- 
perienced anglers  do  not  employ  still-fishing  methods. 
But,  as  purely  a  matter  of  sport,  the  action  and  interest 
and,  moreover,  the  skill  required  for  fly-  or  bait-cast- 
ing, are  such  that  the  two,  stiU-fishing  and  casting,  are 
hardly  comparable. 


GENERAL  SWEET-WATER  TACKLE      137 

Still  fishing  is  usually  done  from  a  boat  and,  for 
the  reason  that  it  is  well  to  get  the  bait  as  far  as 
possible  from  the  boat,  a  rather  long  rod  is  best.  For 
boat  fishing  a  rod  with  the  reel-seat  above  the  hand 
is  most  practical.  The  steel  rods  are  excellent  for  the 
purpose  or  any  solid  wood  rod  will  do.  A  60-  or  80- 
yard  double-multiplying  reel  is  right,  with  25-yards 
of  G  line.  No.  4  and  6  Sproat  hooks,  on  strong  snells, 
should  be  used.     Use  very  small  ringed  sinkers. 

The  Henshall  casting  rod,  mentioned  in  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  bait-casting  rod,  or  a  rod  of  similar 
dimensions,  should  be  used  for  casting 
the  live  minnow.     This  rod  is  8>^  feet  The    Min- 
in   length   and   should   be   mounted   as  ^P^  -rT  j  "" 
regards    reel-seat,    guides,    etc.,    in    the 
same  way  as  the  short  casting  rod.     The  short  rod  is 
not  adapted  to  casting  the  natural  minnow  since  the 
quick  start  of  the  overhead  cast  is  too  apt  to  snap  off 
the  bait.     The  line  and  reel  are  the  same  as  for  the 
shorter  rod.     The  Henshall  is  a  good  rod,  also,  to  use 
for  casting  light  spoons  and  spinners.     This  style  of 
casting  rod  is  adapted  only  to  the  side  cast. 

Comparatively  few  anglers  have  ever  enjoyed  the 
privilege    of    fly-fishing    for    salmon    in    the    famous 
Canadian  streams  where  this  sport,  un- 
doubtedly the  highest  form  of  angling,   ^?^1^^^ 
•    r       t       .     1  -r*  1        rly-tackle. 

IS  found  at  its  best.     But  many  anglers 

now  take  advantage  of  the  salmon  fishing  offered  by 
the  non-preserved  waters  of  Nova  Scotia  and  New- 


138      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

foundland,  where  the  sport,  if  not  equal  to  that  offered 
by  the  classic  Canadian  rivers,  is  still  strictly  worth 
while.  For  this  reason  —  the  subject  hardly  comes 
properly  under  "  general  "  sweet-water  tackle  —  it 
seems  best  to  include  here  a  few  suggestions  about 
salmon  fly-fishing  tackle,  although  it  may  be  said  that 
the  angler  who  has  the  ambition  to  tackle  salmon  will, 
beyond  doubt,  know  more  about  salmon  tackle  than 
it  is  possible  to  tell  him  herein. 

If  you  can  afford  it  select  a  rod  of  split-bamboo; 
these  may  be  had  for  from  $30.00  to  $50.00.  Solid 
wood  rods  of  greenheart  and  noibwood  are,  however, 
very  extensively  used,  and  an  average  price  for  a  rod 
of  this  sort  is  $25.00.  The  prices  given  are  for  rods 
14  or  15  feet  in  length,  and  these  lengths  are  the  best. 
The  standard  length  of  the  salmon  fly-rod  adopted 
for  tournament  casting  is  15  feet.  Salmon  fly-rods, 
since  both  hands  are  used  in  casting,  are  built  with 
double  hand-grasp.  Other  fittings  such  as  "  snake  " 
guides,  etc.,  should  be  the  same  as  for  the  trout  fly-rod. 
A  single-action  click  reel,  supplied  with  a  reliable 
drag,  to  hold  100  yards  of  C  or  D  enameled  line  is 
right  for  the  rods  mentioned.  A  salmon  fly-reel  of 
this  size,  in  German  silver  and  rubber  will  cost  about 
$22.00;  in  nickel  and  rubber  $14.00.  A  double- 
tapered  enameled  line,  size  C,  120-yard  length,  costs 
$11.00.  Regular,  level,  enameled  silk  line,  the  same 
as  used  for  trout  fly-fishing  but  in  the  larger  sizes, 
averages  $1.50  for  25  yards.     Economy  may  be  prac- 


GENERAL  SWEET-WATER  TACKLE     139 

ticed   in  this  regard  by  using  50  yards  of  silk  line 
spliced  to  a  length  of  cheaper  but  good  linen  line. 

Nine-foot  leaders  should  be  used  and  these  may  be 
made  from  three-foot  lengths  of  heavy,  medium  and 
light  gut,  or,  where  the  fish  run  large,  extra  heavy, 
heavy  and  medium  gut.  Nine-foot  salmon  leaders 
may  also  be  made  from  lengths  of  triple-twisted, 
double-twisted  and  single  gut.  Use  only  the  very 
best  gut,  and  test  it. 

The  best  salmon  flies  are:  Silver  doctor,  black 
fairy,  Durham  ranger,  Jock  Scott,  silver  gray,  brown 
fairy,  dusty  miller,  Nicholson,  black  dose.  Of  these 
the  silver  doctor  and  Jock  Scott  are  the  best.  They 
should  be  tied  on  No.  2  and  4  hooks.  A  few  flies  on 
I  and  i-o  hooks  should  be  in  the  book  for  high  water 
and  evening  fishing.  Double-hook  flies  are  also  used. 
Salmon  flies  are  not  listed  in  the  same  way  as  trout 
flies.  Each  salmon  fly  has  its  own  price  according  to 
the  greater  or  less  expense  of  tying  it;  for  instance, 
the  silver  doctor  costs  $6.50  a  dozen,  while  the  Jock 
Scott  is  $7.00.  Others  range  from  $3.50  to  $6.50 
the  dozen. 

Leader-boxes  and  fly-books  have  been  discussed  in 
the  chapters  on  trout-fly-fishing.  Small  salmon  may 
properly  and  preferably  be  netted  or  beached;  larger 
fish  must  be  gaffed.  Experienced  salmon  anglers  pre- 
fer to  use  a  gaff  made  by  lashing  a  gaff-hook  to  a  stout 
handle.  The  gaff-hook  may  be  procured  at  any  good 
tackle  store.    This  saves,  also,  the  trouble  of  packing 


I40     FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

a  gaff  into  the  woods.     Gaffs,  complete  and  very  well- 
made,  with  take-down  handles,  may  also  be  had. 

The  present  day  tendency  of  anglers  is  very  strongly 

toward    the    use   of    light    tackle.     The    fresh-water 

angler  who  has  followed   the  achieve- 

Tackle  for  ments  of  sea  anglers  in  the  use  of  light 

^^^%?^^^  tackle  and  marked  their  success  with 
and  Others  ,      ,      ,  , 

the  tarpon,  tuna,  and  other  large  salt- 
water game  fishes,  logically  concludes  that  even  for 
the  largest  fresh  water  fish  it  is  not  necessary  or 
sportsmanlike  to  use  very  heavy  tackle.  This,  of 
course,  is  exactly  as  it  should  be.  The  sporting  quali- 
ties of  any  game  fish  depend  very  largely  upon  the 
tackle  used.  It  is  far  more  sport  —  and  certainly  far 
more  sportsmanlike  —  to  land  one  good  fish  on  light 
tackle  than  a  dozen  on  heavy.  But  extremely  light 
tackle  is  not  advised  for  the  beginner.  Assuredly  the 
expert  who  kills  his  twenty-five  pound  mascalonge  on 
a  little,  five-ounce  bait-casting  rod,  using  a  small,  light 
reel  and  line,  deserves  to  be  ranked  among  the  elect. 
With  equal  certainty  the  man  of  no  experience  who 
tries  this  on  may  properly  be  ranked  among  the  foolish. 

As  good  a  rod  as  any  for  mascalonge  fishing,  either 
casting  or  trolling,  is  the  Henshall  casting  rod  above 
described.  A  rod  of  this  sort,  if  handled  with  average 
skill,  will  answer  all  requirements.  It  should  weigh 
8  or  9  ounces,  and  should  be  fairly  stiff.  Any  sturdy 
bait-casting  rod,  not  less  than  six  feet  in  length  — 
steel  rods  are  used  to  some  extent  —  will  do.     An 


GENERAL  SWEET-WATER  TACKLE      141 

80  or  100-yard  casting  reel,  E  or  F  line,  braided  silk, 
the  latter  size  preferably  because  it  will  work  better 
in  casting,  and  No.  4  and  6  trolling  spoons,  are  suita- 
ble. All  of  the  bass  casting  baits  mentioned  in  Chap- 
ter 9,  some  of  them  made  slightly  larger  and  stronger, 
are  used  in  casting  and  trolling  for  mascalonge.  The 
mascalonge,  in  common  with  the  pike  and  pickerel, 
has  an  innate  fondness  for  green  and  white,  and  the 
fancy-back  minnow,  above  described,  is  a  very  success- 
ful one.  A  light  steel-wire  leader  should  always  be 
used.  In  this  connection  it  should  be  said  that  gimp 
leaders,  for  any  sort  of  fishing,  are  not  to  be  trusted. 
They  will  smash  without  any  previous  warning  at  all 
visible  to  the  angler.  A  strong  gaff  must  also  form  a 
part  of  the  outfit.  A  plan  sometimes  followed  is  to 
shoot  the  fish  through  the  head  with  a  .22  pistol  or 
rifle.  The  advantage  of  this  is  that  the  fish  is  dead 
when  he  comes  into  the  boat  —  sometimes  a  very  great 
advantage. 

For  either  pike  or  pickerel  ordinary  bass  tackle  may 
properly  be  used,  with  the  addition,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  mascalonge,  of  a  metal  leader.  For  pike  larger 
spoons  should  be  used  than  for  pickerel,  about  the 
same  as  for  mascalonge. 

Early  in  the  spring  lake  trout  may  be  taken  on 

ordinary    fairly    light    trolling    tackle, 

^^^^  Trout  trolling  on  the  surface.     With  the  ar- 
Tackle. 

rival  of  warm  weather,  however,  these 

fish  seek  the  very  deepest  portions  of  the  lake,  and 


142      FISHING  KITS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

then  deep-trolling  is  the  only  practicable  method. 
Until  within  a  few  years  the  only  way  to  deep-troll 
for  "  lakers  "  was  by  using  a  long,  strong  hand-line, 
a  dipsey  sinker  averaging  about  a  half-pound  in  weight 
(the  last  on  a  short  sinker-line  attached  to  the  main 
line  by  a  three-way  swivel)  and  on  this  formidable 
arrangement  a  gang  consisting  of  three  or  more  burrs, 
or  trebles,  and  a  lip-hook  was  used;  a  large  minnow 
being  used  for  bait. 

All  this  has  been  changed,  and  very  much  for  the 
better,  by  the  introduction  of  a  line  made  of  braided 
copper  wire  which,  by  its  own  weight  and  without  the 
necessity  of  using  sinkers,  attains  the  proper  depth. 
This  line  is  so  extremely  well  and  finely  made  —  of 
very  fine  strands  of  copper  wire  braided  over  a  silk 
core  —  that  it  can  be  used  on  a  reel  without  the  slight- 
est trouble.  Consequently,  hand-lining  for  lake  trout 
is  no  longer  necessary  or  excusable.  For  lake  trout, 
then,  use  an  8-  or  9-ounce  trolling  rod,  and  100  yards 
of  braided  copper  wire  line.  This  line  costs  about 
$2.00  for  50  yards.  A  special  reel  for  use  with  this 
sort  of  metal  line  is  furnished  by  the  dealers.  Various 
natural  and  artificial  baits  are  used  for  lake  trout,  but, 
in  general,  it  may  be  said  that  artificial  bait  is  not 
over-successful  with  lakers.  It  is  better  to  use  the 
natural  minnow  on  a  single  hook  or  an  archer  spinner. 
Deep-trolling  may  also  be  profitably  done  for  bass  and 
pickerel  when  they  are  in  deep  water  in  the  summer- 
time. 


INDEX 

Bait-casting  rod,  105;  cost,  113;  fittings,  iii;  length,  109; 
materials,  106;  number  of  joints,  iii;  recapitulation, 
116;  weight,  109. 

Baits,  artificial,  125. 

Care  of  bait-casting  line,  124;  enameled  line,  71;  flies,  92; 
fly-rod,  50;  leaders,  78;  single-action  reel,  65;  quad- 
ruple reel,  122. 

Casting,  fly,  53;  bait,  113. 

Clothing,  100. 

Color  of  leaders,  75. 

Creel,  94. 

Dry  flies,  85. 

Eight-strip  fly-rod,  23. 

Enameled  line,  65. 

Equipment,  personal,  93;  clothing,  100;  creel,  94;  line  re- 
leaser, 97;  miscellaneous,  98;  net,  95;  repair  kit,  97; 
scales,  97;  tackle  box,  96;  waders,  loi. 

Eyed-hooks,  87. 

Eyed  fly,  attaching  to  leader,  88. 

Ferrules,  fly-rod,  32. 

Fittings  of  the  bait-casting  rod,  ill. 

Fittings  of  the  fly-rod,  29. 

Fly-casting,  53. 

Flies,  bass,  135. 

Flies,  salmon,  139. 

Flies,  trout,  79;  care  of,  92;  dry,  85;  eyed-hook,  87;  list 
of,  89;  hooks,  82;  spoons,  126;  styles,  83;  parts  of,  84. 

Fly-rod,  split-bamboo,  23;  all-round  rod,  44;  care  of,  50; 
cost,  46;  ferrules,  32;  guides,  38;  handgrasp,  34; 
handle,  36;  length,  41;  number  of  joints,  29;  qualities 


144  INDEX 

of,    19;   recapitulation,  39;   reel-seat,  zi\  testing,  48; 

weight,  41 ;  windings,  39. 
Fly-books  and  boxes,  92. 

Guides  for  bait-casting  rod,  112;   for  fly-rod,  38. 
Handle  of  bait-casting  rod,  113;  of  fly-rod,  36. 
Handgrasp  of  fly-rod,  34 
Hooks,  fly,  82;  eyed,  87. 
Joints,  number  for  fly-rod,  29. 
Joints,  number  for  bait-casting  rod,  iii. 
Landing  net,  95. 
Leaders,  'J2\  attaching  eyed  fly  to,  88;  care  of,  78;  color, 

75;  how  to  tie,  76;  quality,  "jy,  sizes,  74;  testing,  74 
Length  of  bait-casting  rod,  109. 
Length  of  fly  rod,  41. 

Line,  bait-casting,  123;  care  of,  124;  cost,  124;  size,  123. 
Line,  enameled,  65;  care  of,  71;  cost,  71;  how  made,  66; 

level  vs.  taper,  68;  reserve,  ^2\  size,  67;  testing,  70. 
Line  releaser,  97.  ' 

Mascalonge,  tackle,  140. 

Materials,   for  bait-casting  rod,   106;   fly  rod,  26;   quad- 
ruple reel,  119;  single-action  reel,  60. 
Minnows,  phantom,  126;  wooden,  125. 
Net,  landing,  95. 
Pickerel  tackle,  141. 
Pike  tackle,   141. 
Reel,  single-action,  57;  care  of,  65;  cost,  63;  good  reels, 

(>2i\  how  made,  59;  materials,  60;  position  on  rod,  dy, 

protecting  band,  59;  size,  6z. 
Reel,  quadruple,  117;  care  of,  122;  cost,  122;  how  made, 

118;   materials,   119;   position   on   rod,   121;   size  and 

shape,  128. 
Reel-seat,  2i7' 
Repair  kit,  97. 
Rod,   bait-casting,   see  bait-casting   rod;   fly,   see  fly-rod; 

minnow  casting,  137;  materials,  2(i. 
Salmon  tackle,  137. 
Scales,  97. 


INDEX  145 

Six-Strip  rod,  23, 

Split-bamboo,  variations  of,  23. 

Spoons,  trolling,  126;  fly,  126. 

Styles  of  trout  flies,  83. 

Tackle,  bass  bait-casting,  105;  bass  fly,  133;  lake  trout, 
141 ;  mascalonge,  140 ;  pickerel,  141 ;  pike,  141 ;  salmon 
fly»  139;  still-fishing,  136;  trout  bait,  132;  trout  fly,  16; 
trolling,  135. 

Tackle  box,  96. 

Testing  enameled  line,  70;  fly-rod,  48;  leaders,  74. 

Trolling  spoons,  126. 

Tying  leaders,  y6. 

Waders,  loi. 

Weight  of  bait-casting  rod,  109;  fly  rod,  41, 

Windings  for  fly-rod,  39. 


VB  10592 


